tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34248815636656226262024-03-18T13:09:24.991-07:00The BoswelliansThis is the bookseller blog for Boswell Book Company. Our browsing hours are limited, but we're always open virtually at boswellbooks.com. Contact us at info@boswellbooks.com or (414) 332-1181.Daniel Goldinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11536282665165900502noreply@blogger.comBlogger397125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-75734422138279396952024-03-18T11:23:00.000-07:002024-03-18T13:08:51.202-07:00Staff Recommendations, Week of March 19, 2024<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Lots of great books coming out this week. Let's jump right into the staff recs.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgi0n2i5pVOBP_6ZRTFLzFAm8xDh1aRQBJUahTP84_QFAa-c40bUdAnlRQ-Rhmip3ZleJQa74SHdKcP4VSSK2VyIAGnT-f4nlZ3JYyTTlRobMB51DpqeX_42Ky4PaoUmkwxrQrw4L-N8Tid8r7i2mUKQn3RoCMIcf52nutFrLjHY8MLpdvL-jELphiiM28b" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgi0n2i5pVOBP_6ZRTFLzFAm8xDh1aRQBJUahTP84_QFAa-c40bUdAnlRQ-Rhmip3ZleJQa74SHdKcP4VSSK2VyIAGnT-f4nlZ3JYyTTlRobMB51DpqeX_42Ky4PaoUmkwxrQrw4L-N8Tid8r7i2mUKQn3RoCMIcf52nutFrLjHY8MLpdvL-jELphiiM28b=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>We'll start off with Tim McCarthy, who recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780385550369" target="_blank"><b>James</b></a>, the new novel from Percival Everett that reconsiders and reconceives Mark Twain's classic novel: "<i>James </i>is Jim’s story, the enslaved man from <i>Huckleberry Finn</i>. It's told by Jim himself. Before reading it, I went back and read the original Mark Twain. I wanted to understand how Everett’s James began, and I have to say that Twain severely disappointed me. Even though Huck learns to better understand and care about Jim, so much of the book feels like a comedy, with family feuds, con men tricking naive river people, and Tom Sawyer endangering Jim's escape by adding foolish extra steps to the plan, all for a sense of glory and for his own entertainment. He almost gets them killed, which gets Jim caught again, and for nothing! Tom already knew that Jim’s owner had freed him. Huck just goes along with whatever Tom wants. It’s infuriating, this comedy (which never made me laugh) about using owned people. Jim shows strength and emotion in the novel, but often he's an afterthought or just a manipulated prop to drive the plot. Was it all meant by Twain to be ironic or satirical, designed to enrage me? Perhaps, but Everett refuses to let it stand. He knows the original novel completely and expands it to go far beyond a friendship between James and Huck. He shows us a slave’s stunning reality and the easy excuses people find to grab power and hate. He’s not a bit shy about it, and from the opening scene he also made me laugh! Out loud! After 140 years, Jim becomes James, and I say, with gratitude, that it’s about damn time this man emerged, so boldly, so beautifully, and so brilliantly! I already miss James."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4nCMDTUd-KvclZnjIMxuvw_7rN0CI0Di9h2XkjeH47nezHuyYuTXJOYwzP4kwJcpyJmbkDcrAkJ_ZY-nK5_ZLfAydn2m4tUzboczdOSkZX1bwq6aQIFABuLPI9V-qIoT1-ZpIJxvCFIrINVDNNc_5rLKNwhsQ-R5Fez2l2jVoYQVdXNxvBJ8w7fBI4DAm" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="269" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4nCMDTUd-KvclZnjIMxuvw_7rN0CI0Di9h2XkjeH47nezHuyYuTXJOYwzP4kwJcpyJmbkDcrAkJ_ZY-nK5_ZLfAydn2m4tUzboczdOSkZX1bwq6aQIFABuLPI9V-qIoT1-ZpIJxvCFIrINVDNNc_5rLKNwhsQ-R5Fez2l2jVoYQVdXNxvBJ8w7fBI4DAm=w134-h200" width="134" /></a></div>Now it's over to Chris Lee for his take on <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780802160980" target="_blank"><b>The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic</b></a> by Daniel de Visé: "John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd’s Blues Brothers started as an is-it-funny-or-what-is-it? bit that Lorne Michaels kept cutting out of early Saturday Night Live broadcasts. But the bit was unstoppable, and in just a few years it grew into an out-of-control blockbuster production that ultimately saved the careers of some of America’s greatest musical voices. de Visé captures it all in his worthy tome on the making of a classic comedy capstone. I love how the book takes a deep dive into the two personalities that made up the brothers. Sure, you may know Belushi as the gregarious son of Albanian immigrants with a voracious appetite for drugs. But do you know how the embarrassment of growing up an outsider filled him with endless ambition that drove him to ceaselessly improve as a performer? And perhaps you adore that quirky Canadian Aykroyd for his singularly strange dry wit. But have you considered how his obsessive personality and encyclopedic memory were the dual engines driving his ‘mission from God’: to reintroduce America to one of its own original art forms, the blues? It’s a wild, improbable, tragic, inspiring story of two friends who loved (and frustrated) each other, who pushed each other to create something bold and new from the old and forgotten, and in the process changed the landscape of pop culture. Comedy fans, music fans, anybody who was ‘there’ (or wishes they were) in the days when <i>SNL </i>was a weekly event, you’re going to love this book"</div><div><br /></div><div>Event alert! If you are reading this early in the week, then perhaps you'll be glad to know that on Wednesday, March 20, Daniel de Visé will be at Boswell (6:30 pm) for an event featuring this book! <a href="http://danieldevisemke.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank"><b>Click here for registration and more info - danieldevisemke.eventbrite.com</b></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaka6dXvlXcD_VVgnspUKAgazMYey00MoADqPMc0S7fWS9VhuEUfPwVnDoyErT1ndqZDf0T9tNtkjqpcDcv8ME30SxVJYfkicSUm-wj6agKpW99pZeiAVjdjSGCS7LeLCZdszRvlwe2BOkNTKg-i136yvmH1iH14NvUx4PoY--wkbjK5Qjk0mh7-9dBPW9" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaka6dXvlXcD_VVgnspUKAgazMYey00MoADqPMc0S7fWS9VhuEUfPwVnDoyErT1ndqZDf0T9tNtkjqpcDcv8ME30SxVJYfkicSUm-wj6agKpW99pZeiAVjdjSGCS7LeLCZdszRvlwe2BOkNTKg-i136yvmH1iH14NvUx4PoY--wkbjK5Qjk0mh7-9dBPW9=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div>Now a book with not one but two Rachels who are fans. Both Rachel Copeland and Rachel Ross recommend <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250871251" target="_blank"><b>Cascade Failure</b></a>, the debut novel (and first book in a new series) by LM Sagas. Rachel Copeland says: "Out in the depths of space, three groups hold all the power - and they're hiding something big. When the ragtag group aboard the Ambit respond to a distress call, they find a planet full of dead bodies, one grateful programmer, and a whole lot of trouble. Who knew trouble could be so fun and heartwarming? This crew is so charming and full of life that it's easy to forget that one of them is the AI that captains the ship. If you like your action and adventure with a side of creative nicknames, knitting, and pancakes (AKA if you're always chasing that <i>Firefly</i> feeling), this is the book for you."</div><div><br /></div><div>Rachel Ross says: "LM Sagas bursts out of the gate with her debut novel, <i>Cascade Failure</i>. This is a nonstop space western romp set in a galaxy where corporate powers clash relentlessly with both the workers who fuel development and the guild preventing everyone from tearing each other to shreds. In the wake of these forces, Sagas grounds us in the Ambit, a ship helmed by a curious AI who has collected a crew of human misfits. Sagas writes like a boxer, alternating punches of action-soaked adventure with genuinely heartfelt character scenes. Each character has motivations that propel them through the narrative and personalities that make them a joy to ride along with. Simply put, this is one hell of a crew fighting to make a difference in their largely hostile capitalist world, and it’s time for some thrillin’ heroics. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel as soon as possible!" </div><div><br /></div><div>Jen Steele is also a <i>Cascade Failure</i> (and <i>Firefly</i>) fan! Jen says: "<i>Cascade Failure</i> is a wild space adventure full of action, humor and lovable characters. If you miss <i>Firefly</i>, then this is the book for you!"</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheX1u95vLN9TcvIRlPdBxR5Uy5yWkihjphGsEYOvPPBU88w1Kxa2ahBwO_V01hbETOkp0BOEW2EhDTu3pETZ8se74uS3wSlaIPn8wYkQSN8gzDvBoaPSh6EmyHjAJoyAqRpUPSto1s9uBcqGi9smsAvImr0X0NyzMs_kuqzz_1UTFBkNdE2h_RKWBVB7Rs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheX1u95vLN9TcvIRlPdBxR5Uy5yWkihjphGsEYOvPPBU88w1Kxa2ahBwO_V01hbETOkp0BOEW2EhDTu3pETZ8se74uS3wSlaIPn8wYkQSN8gzDvBoaPSh6EmyHjAJoyAqRpUPSto1s9uBcqGi9smsAvImr0X0NyzMs_kuqzz_1UTFBkNdE2h_RKWBVB7Rs=w130-h200" width="130" /></a></div>Let's stick with Rachel Ross for one more - <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780756419301" target="_blank"><b>Floating Hotel</b></a> by Grace Curtis: "Welcome to the Grand Abeona Hotel, the finest luxury spaceship hotel the galaxy has to offer. As the Abeona coasts through space serving grand food, gorgeous views, and relaxing experiences, the staff work in a flurry to keep the whole thing from falling apart. Meanwhile, there is a mystery wrapped up in the heart of the Abeona that threatens the livelihoods of everyone on board. Curtis threads her narrative neatly through a wide cast of characters as if they are each a bead on a string, tying the ends of the story together neatly with Carl, the longtime manager (and one-time stowaway) who holds the ship together. Floating Hotel really captures both the brain-curdling frustration and giddy camaraderie that comes from working in hospitality, and as we step from character to character we learn about their previous lives and current relationships while catching glimpses of the capitalist hellscape they inhabit. In some way or another, they’re all seeking connection and a place to belong, no matter how transitory that place may ultimately be."</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirm0uKdm-NfYgLlH8QGpVMNk0gAGfJcMjcZbZxcxC-645MGaEXMSYrrFkn8684ZGOSkeCkEsatVEYbcL8bDSqldx8VPGBGKeMOwQi7T5K7l8ZstPTRMnbxMZuOe8oqsHG-HwHCU5qu7VyZXS9jnXcJgqIXxxpJBZwjOPlhkJvUGM5eCnPZvm7NI-4BoMGg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirm0uKdm-NfYgLlH8QGpVMNk0gAGfJcMjcZbZxcxC-645MGaEXMSYrrFkn8684ZGOSkeCkEsatVEYbcL8bDSqldx8VPGBGKeMOwQi7T5K7l8ZstPTRMnbxMZuOe8oqsHG-HwHCU5qu7VyZXS9jnXcJgqIXxxpJBZwjOPlhkJvUGM5eCnPZvm7NI-4BoMGg=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div><div>Oli Schmitz is next up with <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781639732333" target="_blank"><b>The Mars House</b></a> by Natasha Pulley: "Near-impossible to put down, Pulley’s first sci-fi novel imagines a future in which Earth’s climate refugees are sent to an established colony on Mars, where differences in language, social constructs, and physical existence create tension between the “Earthstrong” new arrivals and the majority population of naturalized residents, who’ve been genetically modified over generations to adapt to the planet’s gravity and harsh conditions. This immersive story follows an Earthstronger named January (formerly of the London Royal Ballet, now relegated to factory work and poor treatment on Mars) who chooses a political marriage contract to escape bleak circumstances. I blew through the book in one day, hooked by every element of the story – its strong notes of mystery, a dash of psychological horror, a sprinkling of discussions on linguistics, and even a herd of mammoths – and rooting for January the whole way through. The Mars House has moments of tenderness and humor, points of hope and desperation, a contentious and high-stakes world, perfectly executed use of footnotes... and did I mention the mammoths? (I'm a little obsessed with the mammoths.) Fans of Terry Pratchett's <i>Discworld</i> books and <i>Winter's Orbit</i> alike will thoroughly enjoy this one!"</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpizESa3aN-peJzGiwokB6P99Qv5eGpu5v5vfL6Ko_tGUzA1MAjzMbA94knDM7sTCrnuGRmUaR_G6JRi_gLYyjU61v68hjI0vJyfHflREIEv88ArO4YH8Wy9_N1guMxxgD_ldEfYAsdcr8nFkBHaH0CH5958Rwr5tKd76cnn5quVjpWjUgaQDOTe9mmNeX" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpizESa3aN-peJzGiwokB6P99Qv5eGpu5v5vfL6Ko_tGUzA1MAjzMbA94knDM7sTCrnuGRmUaR_G6JRi_gLYyjU61v68hjI0vJyfHflREIEv88ArO4YH8Wy9_N1guMxxgD_ldEfYAsdcr8nFkBHaH0CH5958Rwr5tKd76cnn5quVjpWjUgaQDOTe9mmNeX=w131-h200" width="131" /></a></div>Oli keeps it going with their rec for <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250790316" target="_blank"><b>The Woods All Black</b></a> by Lee Mandelo: "This novella must be haunting me, because weeks after finishing <i>The Woods All Black</i>, I still think about it on the daily. From the perspective of a worldly queer narrator visiting on behalf of the Frontier Nursing Service, Lee Mandelo immerses the reader in a small and insular Appalachian town in the 1920s, with a cadence and language that fit the setting so precisely, it feels like reading something actually written in the era it describes. A very unsettling, big gender, and ultimately very satisfying historical folk horror read."</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNgNPNHYh5zc1sfzLjCB9g1UaQOcbNWY6vLVoS2WTM84g40EquW6ocO5FWaEB7dZyXFflPHTopP09o_rBwbpce-fIrhHXyaaQ3Lpi50a9nPXHW-7IUTl6AIVe8PyMVwtKDoTBbvSryyG-Kgigy-89i-Zj3_5nGvmWMGjDyU0vVYEIYsxpXva3ANsR5LOBH" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNgNPNHYh5zc1sfzLjCB9g1UaQOcbNWY6vLVoS2WTM84g40EquW6ocO5FWaEB7dZyXFflPHTopP09o_rBwbpce-fIrhHXyaaQ3Lpi50a9nPXHW-7IUTl6AIVe8PyMVwtKDoTBbvSryyG-Kgigy-89i-Zj3_5nGvmWMGjDyU0vVYEIYsxpXva3ANsR5LOBH=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div><div>Jason Kennedy now joins the fray with <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780778369646" target="_blank"><b>The Day Tripper</b></a> by James Goodhand: "It’s way back in 1998, and Alex Dean is having the perfect day (and first date!) with Holly. Then, as he’s crossing the bar with drinks in his hands, he sees a person he had trouble with when he was younger. A fight ensues, and Alex is dumped in the Thames river. Cut to 2014, when Alex awakens, confused by everything. His body is recovering from a drunken night, and he doesn't recognize his environment. He has no idea how or why, but his life has become unstuck - he jumps around every day to a new part of his life. Things doesn't end up the way he believed they would: homeless, alcoholic, and spurned by his family as a deadbeat. On top of all that, no Holly. Alex must attempt to correct what went wrong, hoping that time isn't written in stone and that we all have some agency over our future."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEim59PBkXgZ_HwV_XNbM6h42AJq7j3qvn_citqpkpIZn38p8F5NxlaQJobTjLle8Hx4zgy2QYwBT5-Efho2JmWu2jOFsL7kIdeZMXoC3qTjGAkm1_7Q5y0OoQA5a1r3Xmbn8i5reL_g00HtCHM83BcikKAZ2CFvKXPdlAJ1vj_1aGd7avqa9y-9jmbD3eJd" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="270" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEim59PBkXgZ_HwV_XNbM6h42AJq7j3qvn_citqpkpIZn38p8F5NxlaQJobTjLle8Hx4zgy2QYwBT5-Efho2JmWu2jOFsL7kIdeZMXoC3qTjGAkm1_7Q5y0OoQA5a1r3Xmbn8i5reL_g00HtCHM83BcikKAZ2CFvKXPdlAJ1vj_1aGd7avqa9y-9jmbD3eJd=w135-h200" width="135" /></a></div>Kay Wosewick gets in on the recommending with <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781426223723" target="_blank"><b>Secrets of the Octopus</b></a> by Sy Montgomery amd Warren K Carlyle, IV: "If you are not already head-over-heels in love with octopuses, Montgomery’s new book will seduce you. For those already in love, new research will fill you with more love. Some truly strange new species have been found and are delightfully described. Of course, recent experiments have discovered new aspects of octopus intelligence. Perhaps most interesting are stories about funny, weird, and (apparently) intense emotional human-octopus relationships. Bonus: the book is filled with gorgeous photographs."</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1BAkCkrA1Z59fIW2EpHNHGjwYFqGp10wkddJdtDqMQN3k4ZW6b33cFMDjfy4ZuWWQVkND6bHbnz2zlA7FkPWUIgETF2Seg0K5J3InS0Bw8hSKCGHbvIVKN1jbJuDPqnegCGYTXdNUf1392FzmJGS641UhT6QW4UwgjLzcBf_7FOPyDNccBAyAKFY9WBjH" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1BAkCkrA1Z59fIW2EpHNHGjwYFqGp10wkddJdtDqMQN3k4ZW6b33cFMDjfy4ZuWWQVkND6bHbnz2zlA7FkPWUIgETF2Seg0K5J3InS0Bw8hSKCGHbvIVKN1jbJuDPqnegCGYTXdNUf1392FzmJGS641UhT6QW4UwgjLzcBf_7FOPyDNccBAyAKFY9WBjH=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><div>And we've got one kids book rec from Jen Steele, specifically the new Middle Grade novel from John Schu, <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781536229097" target="_blank"><b>Louder than Hunger</b></a>: "<i>Louder Than Hunger</i> is a middle grade novel told in verse and based on the author's experience with anorexia. I read this in one sitting - it was intense and emotional and hard to put down! Heartbreaking and hopeful, I'm thankful to John Schu for writing such an important novel that is sure to spark conversations and shed light on a topic many young people struggle with."</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibvHvsle4ky7B6bc9_NcN5v77hCvU-aD-2vkU9LS1fZNhyEKdYAPT0mcIuOzI-yubsfUSyzKMwJyGOCPy4CR-olKAPIBQMUF5ptlgjuaULr9zxx8DKVUfZzeeFVO1cn9CEwG0DA203Y85wnMi2DAVvqDb-8Wp0dXAsE4TV4jmHCYW-cBaBAHzTZ4veRT1j" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibvHvsle4ky7B6bc9_NcN5v77hCvU-aD-2vkU9LS1fZNhyEKdYAPT0mcIuOzI-yubsfUSyzKMwJyGOCPy4CR-olKAPIBQMUF5ptlgjuaULr9zxx8DKVUfZzeeFVO1cn9CEwG0DA203Y85wnMi2DAVvqDb-8Wp0dXAsE4TV4jmHCYW-cBaBAHzTZ4veRT1j=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div><div>And we've got one paperback pick for you this week, a recommendation from our proprietor Daniel Goldin. He suggests <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593467848" target="_blank"><b>In Memoriam</b></a>, a novel that gets quite a redesign in its paperback edition, written by Alice Winn: "Despite the age requirement of 19 to be a British army solider, there is much pressure at <i>In Memoriam</i>’s boarding school to enlist earlier, what with the rah-rah nature of the student newspaper and the shaming words of the white feather girls. So enlist they do - and war’s horrors await. In addition to focusing on the quasi-closeted nature of the special friendship at the center of the novel, Winn touches on the race and class tensions of the time, as well as the growing awareness that the British empire may not withstand the confrontation, whether they win or lose. It’s hard to believe that a novel could be so brutal and so romantic at the same time, but that’s the case for Alice Winn’s passionate debut."</div><div><br /></div><div>And those are the recs for the week! Until next week, when we'll be back here with more great books, read on.</div></div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-6860989853041435992024-03-13T12:20:00.000-07:002024-03-13T12:20:07.096-07:00Paperback Picks from the Boswellians!<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's the last couple weeks of paperback picks, courtesy of the Boswellians. These are books that got their paperback releases over the last couple of weeks.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXMRj9xpczUIvqREkEBnhoQRZIVnCL4R0xkVOPz2FeyQXjjhmZjO1jSebUxcmMKyTmrBtCVWSmrI4nRdyOIOKPqo04sGjDDeAQ-1xFJkx7-mvNKPQmXtay5K9ANw67xHVt8pWev9YxetvkxssO5DJd9aOD4zd_5ZLpvnQ8mKYRvVMJqDKjQlvYOx1opBqK" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXMRj9xpczUIvqREkEBnhoQRZIVnCL4R0xkVOPz2FeyQXjjhmZjO1jSebUxcmMKyTmrBtCVWSmrI4nRdyOIOKPqo04sGjDDeAQ-1xFJkx7-mvNKPQmXtay5K9ANw67xHVt8pWev9YxetvkxssO5DJd9aOD4zd_5ZLpvnQ8mKYRvVMJqDKjQlvYOx1opBqK=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div>Daniel Goldin has a few recs for this list! First up is a good friend of the store, Milwaukee author Liam Callanan, whose latest novel is getting a paperback release this week. <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593184080" target="_blank"><b>When in Rome</b></a> is the title, and here is the Daniel Goldin write-up: "I love traditional family stories and also ones about found family, and one thing that’s great about<i> When in Rome </i>is that I get both in one. Another thing I love is that Callanan, in this story about a real estate agent whose midlife crisis leads her to try to save a convent, can write about the joys of faith and vocation in an accessible way. But most of all, there’s that setting. There’s a joke about Paris that meanders through bookstore culture - slap an Eiffel Tower on the jacket and we won’t be able to keep it in stock - just one reason for the success of <i>Paris by the Book</i>. That literary pixie dust doesn’t always extend to the Eternal City, but after reading <i>When in Rome</i>, I can’t imagine someone not wanting to book a flight to Italy posthaste. Callanan brings the city to sparkling life, not just the well-known buildings (ruin or otherwise), statues, and fountains, but equally the lesser-known streets and neighborhoods. Even graffiti becomes romantic. It’s the perfect setting for this engaging and heartfelt novel."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQy8DNRxRcBqD_oq8xc3wXUmDhb1UW6jmmQBd037nXn5qk70CJ6Lbb7MinAwapYbysNF8GaELt-DGLtTG4rJJW4nIVCU63bc8vAiHsorkRYtOsjVYwe_nogLpGya3DYcfg_5wXWnzYByTZvszgFInSBfNNUX_se4Nw4JRZygbxX72YhUR5q7FsFPvvEBy5" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQy8DNRxRcBqD_oq8xc3wXUmDhb1UW6jmmQBd037nXn5qk70CJ6Lbb7MinAwapYbysNF8GaELt-DGLtTG4rJJW4nIVCU63bc8vAiHsorkRYtOsjVYwe_nogLpGya3DYcfg_5wXWnzYByTZvszgFInSBfNNUX_se4Nw4JRZygbxX72YhUR5q7FsFPvvEBy5=w131-h200" width="131" /></a></div>Next, Daniel recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250892492" target="_blank"><b>Künstlers in Paradise</b></a> by Cathleen Schine. Daniel says: "In 1939, the Künstler family, a modernist composer and an upcoming actor, the grandfather and their young daughter Mamie, are able to leave Vienna and cross the ocean on the last voyage of the Ile de France to become part of the (often but not always Jewish) émigré community in Los Angeles, including Greta Garbo and composer Arnold Schoenberg. Just over eighty years later, Mamie is exiled again during the COVID lockdown, with only her grandson Julian and her housekeeper Agatha for company. For Mamie, this is an opportunity to take stock of her past, pass some of her stories down, and reveal some carefully hidden secrets. For Julian, it’s the chance to find meaning in his own life. And for readers, <i>Kunstlers in Paradise</i> is a witty, wise, and moving story with an intergenerational friendship at its core." </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7zShUr6xxgb9FNGcpZQuHDwEnTfrJIhvih_Z2BHiPT8KgXSp8VwxUktZkrOsM41XEW97KUpX3_YUUdfgaQmoUBIIOzuo74RIG8-esrJCShTHtct8NQQA2Hm6mjyIT-cWdZ4MVONPVBqEtmh6bx2o6bCeCDZhgYcT4iXUeS_CjbFCxtq-clPP8BqMrHnFI" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7zShUr6xxgb9FNGcpZQuHDwEnTfrJIhvih_Z2BHiPT8KgXSp8VwxUktZkrOsM41XEW97KUpX3_YUUdfgaQmoUBIIOzuo74RIG8-esrJCShTHtct8NQQA2Hm6mjyIT-cWdZ4MVONPVBqEtmh6bx2o6bCeCDZhgYcT4iXUeS_CjbFCxtq-clPP8BqMrHnFI=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Next from Daniel is <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593490716" target="_blank"><b>Pineapple Street</b></a> by Jenny Jackson. Daniel writes: "Ever since Edith Wharton, great novelists have been writing about the vagaries of life among the moneyed classes of New York. But it’s always Manhattan. Surely there’s a novel about old Brooklyn money? Indeed, there is, and what a delicious tale <i>Pineapple Street </i>is! The three Stockton siblings have more money than most of us can imagine, but that doesn’t mean they make better decisions than the rest of us. Darley? She invoked the generation skipping trust when she wouldn’t have her husband sign the prenup. Georgina? She finally meets Mr. Right, only he might be Mr. Wrong. And Cord? He might have committed the worst sin of all, marrying a middle-class woman who is mistaken for the caterer. It is she, Sasha, who guides us into the world of money, the Tom Townsend of the group, for those who obsess over the film Metropolitan. But by the end of the story, our sympathies have extended quite a bit further, with lots of laugh-out-loud moments along the way. Someone compared Jackson’s first novel to <i>The Nest </i>(or rather, everyone has) and I have to say, it’s about the best comparison I can come up with, too. And I loved <i>The Nest</i>, so connect the dots."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJKIsmEw94EoSY0IKhphHzUpH3J9OAjAXzdzM-zMSIcCi_RDcLYScO5W59NVl3tt4dRvnHjoXNmH-1vOZUHkvPTTVY9Y1eJCFSCds2isWYETWz-adxEpFLrHRluZRvCPHKGfAg41KftLW2KauM9N-3HswfNQ_7taOSgBQSr02dRxsAtUQb3FnCRSupYs0b" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJKIsmEw94EoSY0IKhphHzUpH3J9OAjAXzdzM-zMSIcCi_RDcLYScO5W59NVl3tt4dRvnHjoXNmH-1vOZUHkvPTTVY9Y1eJCFSCds2isWYETWz-adxEpFLrHRluZRvCPHKGfAg41KftLW2KauM9N-3HswfNQ_7taOSgBQSr02dRxsAtUQb3FnCRSupYs0b=w130-h200" width="130" /></a></div>Here's Kay Wosewick with words for <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250321718" target="_blank"><b>Birnam Wood</b></a>, a novel by Eleanor Catton that was picked as a <i>New York Times</i>, NPR, <i>New Yorker</i>, <i>Washington Post</i>, <i>Atlantic</i>... (the list goes on and on) book of the year. Here's Kay's take: "This complex, masterfully paced thriller is set in New Zealand, where a group of young adults secretly grow food on other people’s land. An American billionaire's arrival wreaks wide-ranging havoc on land and lives alike. Tension builds from the first chapter thanks to rich inner monologues of key characters."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeMBYjjc53DbqrwMPy40aaUZ64AbnZMPctKQG7st9SMjfYE8QoFZtMsP91YE_hRNdUwEEebl7LmGasfP1E7AD0Nv8Bjts30RZCpd5RdDsIqOsyyiK229enjQqwS1EjuW3dEna92e-_gufcbxFpeM2J4J7-ezt2k_KDrkLUPO566uqjpjQnje-ItPLWlB1t" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeMBYjjc53DbqrwMPy40aaUZ64AbnZMPctKQG7st9SMjfYE8QoFZtMsP91YE_hRNdUwEEebl7LmGasfP1E7AD0Nv8Bjts30RZCpd5RdDsIqOsyyiK229enjQqwS1EjuW3dEna92e-_gufcbxFpeM2J4J7-ezt2k_KDrkLUPO566uqjpjQnje-ItPLWlB1t=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Rachel Copeland swoons for the next book on the list: <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593441190" target="_blank"><b>Happy Place</b></a> by Emily Henry. Rachel opines: "Harriet and Wyn were each other's happy place until five months ago, when their years-long relationship suddenly, and secretly, ended. Now, at one last annual getaway with their four best friends, they have to grit their teeth and pretend everything's fine - and that they're not still madly in love with each other. This is Emily Henry at her most mature - capturing that real, enduring love that goes beyond the spark and the declarations, to the aches and pains of a life lived uncertainly, the façades we build to avoid causing a fuss. Harriet and Wyn broke my heart and then put it back together in that wonderfully bittersweet way that only a god-tier writer can achieve. It's a story to keep you up past your bed time, to make you cry, to make you say 'damn you Emily Henry' with not just love but gratitude in your heart."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6Z3fdi2tpiGX0CWkVvDnRm4lpbNYNJKtfBWqmCtsOgo5v_aVO0PvoaCIDbDHWMhQF9LsTTgWVGPK8ai0G9yKaOIYMNRX-tvjM35Y14qNjBs6Gk88Gg8tt7Mw3U5mQDDXKfKtoLrrc1ZgVjmJyAOgEnwB7lJ61PC4YN-RJAXfjSvbypSHtSYQJAPgf9bBa" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6Z3fdi2tpiGX0CWkVvDnRm4lpbNYNJKtfBWqmCtsOgo5v_aVO0PvoaCIDbDHWMhQF9LsTTgWVGPK8ai0G9yKaOIYMNRX-tvjM35Y14qNjBs6Gk88Gg8tt7Mw3U5mQDDXKfKtoLrrc1ZgVjmJyAOgEnwB7lJ61PC4YN-RJAXfjSvbypSHtSYQJAPgf9bBa=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div>Finally, it's Kathy Herbst with notes on Margaret Atwood's latest story collection, <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593468418" target="_blank"><b>Old Babes in the Wood</b></a>. Here's what Kathy has to say: "<i>Old Babes</i> is Atwood's first collection of short stories since 2014, and they are engrossing. With a nod to her interest in sci-fi and post-apocalyptic writing, these stories focus on the nature of human relationships and how they influence us over time; who we keep close to us in spite of differences and how we move on when the person most important to us dies. Often touching, sometimes funny, they are worth a read."</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And at last, our recommending for this week is done. Check back here next week for more great book suggestions. And until then, read on.</div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-59760667650551122352024-03-12T10:42:00.000-07:002024-03-12T13:45:55.376-07:00Staff Recommendations, Weeks of March 5 and 12, 2024<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">One blog, two weeks of recommendations. Playing a bit of catch-up here, this blog has our staff recs for the last two weeks. And there are lots of 'em! Let's dive right in.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">First, the March 5th releases:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA8sYSHzyJUWFR7W2SCg08ftogucEWKsVrGgo9mMK1Cn5m9Df_lZMA24gyeqqNKpc0dKZZDRRzpx7fmL6Th162k1lhDraJkyoLmc3FM-DJ1jm5m1-jTUhXIyNOHAyA-A9Co6EYElXJPpSgyGyTeDrxk6cU-Uy4FaGS_ygZ0QBJF2O_D7SyyXdaBeaF5Jm7" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA8sYSHzyJUWFR7W2SCg08ftogucEWKsVrGgo9mMK1Cn5m9Df_lZMA24gyeqqNKpc0dKZZDRRzpx7fmL6Th162k1lhDraJkyoLmc3FM-DJ1jm5m1-jTUhXIyNOHAyA-A9Co6EYElXJPpSgyGyTeDrxk6cU-Uy4FaGS_ygZ0QBJF2O_D7SyyXdaBeaF5Jm7=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Tim and Daniel both recommend <a href="http://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780063291324" target="_blank"><b>The Great Divide</b></a> by Cristina Henríquez. From Daniel: "As Henríquez did in <i>The Book of Unknown Americans</i>, a chorus of voices come together to paint a larger narrative, this time about the building of the Panama Canal. Migrants from Barbados looking to better their lives, natives whose villages are due to be destroyed by flooding, a scientist hoping to eliminate malaria – <i>The Great Divide</i> gives voice to folks who aren’t always represented in history books while acknowledging the engineering marvel that is the Canal. A story filled with passion, humor, heartbreak, and romance."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And from Tim: "It's early in the 20th century, and people come from across the Americas to one spot, where massive energy is focused on realizing a four-hundred-year-old dream: a water passage between two great oceans. Dig through the Cordillera Mountains of Panama to sail ships through the ancient isthmus Balboa had crossed in 1513. A husband and wife arrive from Tennessee with the goal of defeating malaria; Omar Aquino, a seventeen-year-old fisherman's son, one of the Panamanians whose life is forever changed, finds grueling work with a pick and shovel; a bitter foreman forces laborers to power through the tropical heat and wet, slimy rocks that vibrate with deafening sound; and sixteen-year-old Ada Bunting from Barbados steals aboard a ship searching for work to pay for her sister’s surgery. In the end, it’s cutting through our great human divisions that sets up the ultimate challenge. The novel’s graceful, intimate descriptions and direct storytelling kept me hoping for connections. I felt history being made as if it happened in real time, through flesh and blood, substance far beyond a history book explanation."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Event note! Cristina Henríquez will be at Boswell on Thursday, March 21, 6:30 pm. <a href="http://cristinahenriquezmke.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank">More info and registration at cristinahenriquezmke.eventbrite.com</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIBMb5gOMDYSZgRb1GbnZhPwOUG5C1YJgWIq1E2w0dNC1HsmZpbvQ0b0Ix5WoE3lDOAUc8Ad25nldriMAoolJa1NfX44f_3wkYEEHThoNpKLlUnHDpHGOMdgujNghKLmxca67TyA3eFzIlTUlCQxE3T4PN_iZr5Hd9Ij6EzCibOBKVaIXvVMiGjGAE2_fo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIBMb5gOMDYSZgRb1GbnZhPwOUG5C1YJgWIq1E2w0dNC1HsmZpbvQ0b0Ix5WoE3lDOAUc8Ad25nldriMAoolJa1NfX44f_3wkYEEHThoNpKLlUnHDpHGOMdgujNghKLmxca67TyA3eFzIlTUlCQxE3T4PN_iZr5Hd9Ij6EzCibOBKVaIXvVMiGjGAE2_fo=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div>Daniel also recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250786210" target="_blank"><b>Anita de Monte Laughs Last</b></a> by Xochitl Gonzalez: "While <i>Olga Dies Dreaming </i>used the form of romantic comedy to tell its story, Xochitl Gonzalez merges the forms of historical fiction and magical realism to document the life of an artist (fictionalized but based on a real person) whose legacy is obscured by racism, sexism, and murder. Anita de Monte is making a name for herself in the mid-1980s when she hooks up with the modernist sculptor Jack Martin. Only 15 years later, Raquel Toro, Brown undergrad, whose mother toiled in the MOMA cafeteria so her daughter could achieve her dreams, now has one in a RISD fellowship, where she will be studying the work of that very artist, while navigating the major and minor aggressions a Brown girl must face in a White-run system. She certainly doesn’t know that her true mission is to right the wrong of de Monte’s literal and figurative disappearance. But can she avoid treading the same dangerous ground when she falls for a wealthy White artist? Gonzalez does a great job of immersing Raquel’s story in the student hip hop culture of the late 1990s, particularly through the lens of her radio station. And I love that the story is partly told through de Monte’s ghost, who can sometimes take the form of a bat." </div><div><br /></div><div>Event note! Xochitl Gonzalez is at Milwaukee Artist Resource Network, 191 N Broadway on Wednesday, March 13, 6:30 pm. Cohosted by La Revo Books. <a href="http://xochitlgonzalezmke.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank"><b>More info / registration at xochitlgonzalezmke.eventbrite.com</b></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisL3Dya7Uwnk9__3aOBP05PN_oSdj-4I0X98Pn2GUB9eR7XdRfEW4bYM2bUHuUB8l9qjUYkX76IK775Y9t311zQWTinYd25tJ4VxaFJmaDiSLDjTK9eVYoPniGPikCnKPG8_oW30yQje--LnCTf6BbQTYtezpcKgqUwfxdF4Boq_BQtuwPPF5uUmlidZDO" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisL3Dya7Uwnk9__3aOBP05PN_oSdj-4I0X98Pn2GUB9eR7XdRfEW4bYM2bUHuUB8l9qjUYkX76IK775Y9t311zQWTinYd25tJ4VxaFJmaDiSLDjTK9eVYoPniGPikCnKPG8_oW30yQje--LnCTf6BbQTYtezpcKgqUwfxdF4Boq_BQtuwPPF5uUmlidZDO=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Jason recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593200384" target="_blank"><b>Murder Road</b></a>, the latest from Simone St James. Jason writes: "Michigan, 1995: a married couple traveling to a modest honeymoon take a wrong turn and drive down Atticus Line toward Cold Lake Falls. This a stretch of highway has seen numerous hitchhikers killed and dumped over the last 20ish years. Soon they find a woman hobbling down the road. They offer her a ride into town, though the couple really have no idea where they are. As they drive to town, the woman says she needs a hospital. Before they get there, the woman dies, and it's revealed she was stabbed. From here, Simone St. James takes us on a roller coaster of creepy and sinister situations. Everything is more connected than it seems, and the couple attempts to discover what has really been happening on Attic Line so they can clear their names. Could they be the next victims? Such a spooky read!"</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj738e8OFkTRoteyoA5ZjMKusRainzOw87bM_kj_HOn-OPamOW8ZMgd1B4yI2YKoifcfxgordQJNO8Ttf_Q80ZCDZR-i35ByAWU_CiULgbF0CRPXzSIVoORuakiCH7lbgqAFxOmGeGPvokcpUtFgBKgEEl3PlnQPGttCOKAOnwgnjU4W3p9H6yQjQqcIXiW" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj738e8OFkTRoteyoA5ZjMKusRainzOw87bM_kj_HOn-OPamOW8ZMgd1B4yI2YKoifcfxgordQJNO8Ttf_Q80ZCDZR-i35ByAWU_CiULgbF0CRPXzSIVoORuakiCH7lbgqAFxOmGeGPvokcpUtFgBKgEEl3PlnQPGttCOKAOnwgnjU4W3p9H6yQjQqcIXiW=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div>Gao recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781525804304" target="_blank"><b>Women of Good Fortune</b></a> by Sophie Wan. Goa says: "This book has been nothing but pure delight. From the glamorous elites of Shanghai to the hole-in-the wall restaurants you frequent for a taste of home, Sophie Wan does a masterful job at weaving the lives of three different women into an exciting and heartfelt debut novel. It is a love letter to female friendships, dreams, and femininity."</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbpEdj2WtcF5lbjxZJS2yDzOb0foDxhxQSGAMuzXmPrtrsL93kb2RDI0kuKVIE_hvYJO1_mJcG64KwaoVkPVd3fZ--8g6CbFs8HTn87XurjMdGiBW9PewnTgMTiRfdSFajyjHTK2DGGD6GzxUSSY-zPCRwGKqUjbgDDjpsle13sVmiOZclhU-2SerddZYV" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbpEdj2WtcF5lbjxZJS2yDzOb0foDxhxQSGAMuzXmPrtrsL93kb2RDI0kuKVIE_hvYJO1_mJcG64KwaoVkPVd3fZ--8g6CbFs8HTn87XurjMdGiBW9PewnTgMTiRfdSFajyjHTK2DGGD6GzxUSSY-zPCRwGKqUjbgDDjpsle13sVmiOZclhU-2SerddZYV=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><div>And from Kim, a write-up of the latest Tana French novel, <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593493434" target="_blank"><b>The Hunter</b></a>: "It's been 2 years since Cal Hooper, former Chicago detective, made Ardnakelty, a small town in the mountains of Ireland, his home and began the complicated task of becoming an accepted member of this tightly closed community. Trust gains heft in slow motion. So aside from his girlfriend Lena, Trey, a 15-year-old girl and a bone-deep cynic, leery for a multitude of indisputable reasons, and Hooper’s neighbor Mart, his guide and diviner of all things Ardnakelty, each day includes braided challenges of being a blow-in American. When Trey's abusive and long-truant father returns home with a get-rich-quick plan and a posh Englishman in tow, the town is once again turned sideways. Cooper's detective hackles rise, and the reflex response is to protect Trey at any cost. Trey, however, has other ideas. The time and opportunity for her to make right the murderous wrongs this community has committed against her have arrived. Like all of French's books (& I consider myself a super fan!), I'm drawn in by the complexity of her characters, truly feeling that I really know them and can, without fail, guess their next move. Alas, I am always wrong, and the truth makes me gasp. <i>The Hunter</i>’s flash point will leave you blinded."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjedqGEFE6dhjHOSZoW63nYzpSUstXblENvd40B4mJonEGd8qpLPj8q5NlmwIPQDcMr7z0GvmeV5p5i-FRfESW4Ca-VlwgBsoQXdDhXZpP4Gats39EFufwJsgebsTgx9NbD_o5ByiTt8_BsxukVsbpM7fvJ_S5cgbfUE3ccVQWGQLl_kZaGTZjutqtks_tt" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="281" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjedqGEFE6dhjHOSZoW63nYzpSUstXblENvd40B4mJonEGd8qpLPj8q5NlmwIPQDcMr7z0GvmeV5p5i-FRfESW4Ca-VlwgBsoQXdDhXZpP4Gats39EFufwJsgebsTgx9NbD_o5ByiTt8_BsxukVsbpM7fvJ_S5cgbfUE3ccVQWGQLl_kZaGTZjutqtks_tt=w141-h200" width="141" /></a></div>Kids books from 3/5 include <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781536231052" target="_blank"><b>Ferris</b></a> by Kate DiCamillo, which Tim and Jen both recommend. From Jen: "Ferris Wilkey’s summer is shaping up to be a busy one. Her grandmother says there’s a ghost visiting her, her sister Pinky plans on being a supervillain, and her uncle Ted is staying in the basement and trying to paint the history of the world. Funny and heartwarming, these characters jumped off the page for me and captured my heart. Another charming middle grade novel from Kate DiCamillo." </div><div><br /></div><div>From Tim: "Ferris is starting fifth grade at the end of the summer. It's a grade that I personally taught for most of my career, and I remember just how young they look at the beginning, before they start a time of wonderful change. For Ferris, that change is coming fast. Her strong grandmother doesn’t feel well and has started seeing a ghost in the house. Boomer the dog sees it too, and Uncle Ted has left Aunt Shirley to live with them while painting the entire history of the world on a single canvas. As for little sister Pinky, oh my! Oh! My! She’s planning to be an outlaw, and she’s off to a great start. Ferris’s lifelong friend Billy Jackson is the only one who truly understands. DiCamillo’s trademark style is back, with uplifting warmth and sly, smart humor. It’s full of special friendship and love, and as Grandma Charisse likes to say, every good story is a love story. I like to say that there’s nothing in children’s literature better than Kate DiCamillo’s delightful voice. Her wise, hilarious observations of people (and dogs) come wrapped in thrilling tales of childhood."<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhqjhEDyq1xnJxh_kVpHZBaazD_8fNml6rwwVl-RaJihxY52ivjaDg1yUBNxN5gDFQSlP7L-PyuRqkN_whD_9c-GI-KZt4iZlz0JYRMPS0kcbjFPmvn4huzulHDRmiO_ZqWZY0s1Msz9CFG2i30B0jxRR_MUqn0_pxtaKEa7KUqU6x0Gw26zJ1dMpovXsw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhqjhEDyq1xnJxh_kVpHZBaazD_8fNml6rwwVl-RaJihxY52ivjaDg1yUBNxN5gDFQSlP7L-PyuRqkN_whD_9c-GI-KZt4iZlz0JYRMPS0kcbjFPmvn4huzulHDRmiO_ZqWZY0s1Msz9CFG2i30B0jxRR_MUqn0_pxtaKEa7KUqU6x0Gw26zJ1dMpovXsw=w200-h200" width="200" /></a></div>And then there's <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781665931977" target="_blank"><b>Lights Out: A Movement to Help Migrating Birds</b></a> by Jessica Stremer, recommended by Kay: "<i>Lights Out</i> begins on a sad note, explaining how birds get very confused by city lights when they migrate in spring and fall. But there is hope! The author describes how locally led educational programs are persuading more and more cities around the world to turn off lights during migration. The book ends with great ideas to help kids start programs in their own city. Bonus: Milwaukee is a perfect place for Lights Out because Lake Michigan's coastline is a major migration route."</div><div><br /></div><div>Event alert! Stremer appears at at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, 1111 E Brown Deer Rd on Saturday, April 27, 10 am. Registration coming soon. Check the Boswell upcoming events page for more info - <a href="http://boswellbooks.com/upcoming-events" target="_blank">boswellbooks.com/upcoming-events</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgz7NtyCGyJ9CU5vM5s1kB7z0-QaYT79gkbVLlq6W3j8ra2vLS2L8ZN95BhhsAhtSJczKJFxon0ypF9x74_JYhiXggHZctDewxQJUDppWooy6cvC1266UHyX0sWlM_RXwV9zjPTvilU_RIfedq1Bd3RVYJaKlAaS_H3qQd-qE-Bh2gF8y1J-nxSkQIfq3-N" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgz7NtyCGyJ9CU5vM5s1kB7z0-QaYT79gkbVLlq6W3j8ra2vLS2L8ZN95BhhsAhtSJczKJFxon0ypF9x74_JYhiXggHZctDewxQJUDppWooy6cvC1266UHyX0sWlM_RXwV9zjPTvilU_RIfedq1Bd3RVYJaKlAaS_H3qQd-qE-Bh2gF8y1J-nxSkQIfq3-N=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div>Jen recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780063337312" target="_blank"><b>The First State of Being</b></a> by Erin Entrada Kelly. Jen says: "I don't read many time travel books, so I'm not sure on all the rules of time travel, but I loved the way Kelly wove time travel and historical fiction together. It's late summer in 1999, and everyone has Y2K on the brain. Michael Rosario is worried about how he and his mom will survive it - will there be enough food? When a time traveler from 200 years into the future arrives, Michael learns to enjoy the small moments and maybe even try to make new friends. Kelly's latest middle grade novel is a fantastic voyage to the past and the future!"</div><div><br /></div><div>And now on to the March 12th releases:</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihDNJZj2yFUdZDoiBiGwBIkaTLJWqwWCdHaVg1VLKi_KNrRTF3a8iu1w5oKjtwF1vTjAQya49c3Ztx714WP4xJsw0Vx0ttAB7L3kt40CsE5AdcbSUv36gRIhT-X6CTkD5VIJPogUTzFIW-4b93gH7qHpNCJ2-T1z3nWO2QL7VaeBUkNF6ul4jXx0mbirYf" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihDNJZj2yFUdZDoiBiGwBIkaTLJWqwWCdHaVg1VLKi_KNrRTF3a8iu1w5oKjtwF1vTjAQya49c3Ztx714WP4xJsw0Vx0ttAB7L3kt40CsE5AdcbSUv36gRIhT-X6CTkD5VIJPogUTzFIW-4b93gH7qHpNCJ2-T1z3nWO2QL7VaeBUkNF6ul4jXx0mbirYf=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>First up for this week's releases, it's <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781976600173" target="_blank"><b>Tim with Wisconsin for Kennedy: The Primary That Launched a President and Changed the Course of History</b></a> by BJ Hollars. Tim says: "Hollars is an excellent narrative nonfiction writer. He grabbed me from the start. It happened partly because Kennedy delivered a vital speech in Milwaukee exactly two weeks before the day I was born here, and it also quickly became clear that many of the politicians I knew vaguely as a child had vibrant roles in the story. Beyond that, Hollars uses "creative nonfiction" techniques, such as point-of-view shifts, to build on extensive primary sources in capturing the drama of a campaign and the depth of the people involved. Kennedy's genuine ability to charm diverse crowds while impressing them with his "encyclopedic political knowledge" is portrayed beautifully. Wisconsin legends such as Patrick Lucey, Vel Phillips, and Bill Proxmire (as well as the villain Joseph McCarthy) are joined by a fascinating cast of little-known characters. The book’s layout, amazing photography, and apt quotations are all highly effective. Hollars makes the case that the entire Kennedy family became focused on winning Wisconsin, and their complex White House launch strategy was born here, exactly when and where I was. It's exhilarating! And just two days before my fourth birthday, President Kennedy’s funeral was held in Washington DC. I’m already handing customers this book with unrestrained enthusiasm, while trying to avoid sounding nerdy about it."</div><div><br /></div><div>Event alarm! Ding ding! BJ Hollars will be at Boswell on Tuesday, March 19, 6:30 pm to chat about this very book. <a href="http://bjhollarsmke.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank">Click here to register and get more info at bjhollarsmke.eventbrite.com</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqjZrqWuARIBFN6nqGTvt16UeBmccG8nBmmRy7itjwqCMv2k5vrl0myEt1NzeVoT8aDRmkrUPFeWhYlwVREGAAX6FWC_TM8-ej5zggSESB18pIWux6O7BE_iCU9hefI_ABUUGZUp8tjyIs_XtipLG2Q-tQTlUqRhZVhzv536R2BLcNC5tL2dBoxa2wDBs_" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqjZrqWuARIBFN6nqGTvt16UeBmccG8nBmmRy7itjwqCMv2k5vrl0myEt1NzeVoT8aDRmkrUPFeWhYlwVREGAAX6FWC_TM8-ej5zggSESB18pIWux6O7BE_iCU9hefI_ABUUGZUp8tjyIs_XtipLG2Q-tQTlUqRhZVhzv536R2BLcNC5tL2dBoxa2wDBs_=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Next, Daniel takes us to nonfiction town with <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781982155773" target="_blank"><b>Selling the Dream: The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans</b></a> by Jane Marie. Daniel writes: "Based on <i>The Dream</i> podcast, Jane Marie’s look at multi-level marketing captures the highs (Avon, maybe?), the lows (too numerous to mention), and everything in between. MLM is officially any business where the focus of the business is on building a network rather than selling a product, so we’re talking Amway, Mary Kay, Herbalife, Tupperware, NXIVM, the company with busily-patterned leggings. Sometime there isn’t even a product – you might be selling leadership training or NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), which, along with conservative values and girl-boss culture (most companies recruit heavily female, though that’s not so much at the top), seem to be joined at the hip to many MLM companies. Marie also follows the dogged but ineffective attempts to rein in many of these companies, often to little success. Entertaining, education, and a little disturbing."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhixHEfaAi3Pgvu6GGB_gL586eRORRd8NUt3fGfuTT6XP2MdGxHV9GeGa1EFvjxIsQUqXWPk7v2KEez4Dvf_wSjTHvT76l5kCe5LrvofdHhB9CvRcw_4Yw5oowHxJ2geQ8i8dmDueEotXSNlT6lBzeG0yGjRR_Un74HB0KAcCQXsj2zm3FFk6XR5HpR5nsv" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhixHEfaAi3Pgvu6GGB_gL586eRORRd8NUt3fGfuTT6XP2MdGxHV9GeGa1EFvjxIsQUqXWPk7v2KEez4Dvf_wSjTHvT76l5kCe5LrvofdHhB9CvRcw_4Yw5oowHxJ2geQ8i8dmDueEotXSNlT6lBzeG0yGjRR_Un74HB0KAcCQXsj2zm3FFk6XR5HpR5nsv=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Rachel Ross recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780063350106" target="_blank"><b>Sunbringer</b></a> by Hannah Kaner. Ross says: "Hannah Kaner has crafted a remarkable sequel with <i>Sunbringer</i>, the follow-up to <i>Godkiller</i>. No time is wasted as Kaner pulls on her existing story threads and starts weaving in new elements to build a bigger picture for readers. Secrets come to light, relationships fracture and are reset, and characters struggle to cope with the ramifications of all they’ve been through. In this world, you may be able to kill gods, but that doesn’t mean you can destroy the faith that creates them. Will the humans and gods of Middren be able to break the cycle of violence they’re trapped in? I am eagerly awaiting the final volume of this outstanding series."</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoNfpUMJlUq75ObEUbI0GJuE9lDWxUMahMA8gXGVolu88NWM7_c8yyIzfFYE79k2n_DKVTUeIs-myf31rm9_9-nCsdsGAdHNSFRpCq2cmrh3cNyGmql0mCUqsnobNidhfBBX2eDB7Vlq1aRxubIo4tJQRoJc5T3r5PTqsd0OEoRkIFkJUIeTU2mHEWMEOQ" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoNfpUMJlUq75ObEUbI0GJuE9lDWxUMahMA8gXGVolu88NWM7_c8yyIzfFYE79k2n_DKVTUeIs-myf31rm9_9-nCsdsGAdHNSFRpCq2cmrh3cNyGmql0mCUqsnobNidhfBBX2eDB7Vlq1aRxubIo4tJQRoJc5T3r5PTqsd0OEoRkIFkJUIeTU2mHEWMEOQ=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><div>Rachel Copeland recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593545959" target="_blank"><b>A Grave Robbery</b></a> by Deanna Raybourn. Copeland says: "Freshly home after another invigorating brush with death, amateur sleuths Veronica Speedwell and Stoker Templeton-Vane are content working on their usual scientific endeavors. When Stoker receives a commission to install a mechanical breathing mechanism into a wax figure, he makes a grim discovery: the figure is a perfectly preserved corpse. Determined to put the mystery woman to rest with dignity, the two scientists set out to find out why she died, and more importantly, who would go to such lengths to preserve the body - and for what purpose. <i>Sleeping Beauty</i> meets <i>Frankenstein </i>in the ninth Veronica Speedwell mystery, and it's positively ghoulish in the best way. It's particularly enjoyable to see how far Veronica and Stoker have come, both professionally and personally (and that she can still make him blush after all this time). Sometimes a series can flag in quality by this point, but not in the hands of Queen Deanna - she continues to slay, in every sense of the word." </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUmtVb5L5iQOaMZgJgYpduV1F2IH_yVy0scAtyKOKOn3iD-oz9wIQFX4ufKdfce6JMJbGjVaVOxyJEEn-Nt8U2l1lKq2hvrKaH6wARpuCf8_RFrQBb_LycxWKw1KTVsdW-vcMPk9g2tL1xIwSbCRad51MKiEnp2DseAs4cGHP8ror9XYq_VMhOmjYTZh5X" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="343" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUmtVb5L5iQOaMZgJgYpduV1F2IH_yVy0scAtyKOKOn3iD-oz9wIQFX4ufKdfce6JMJbGjVaVOxyJEEn-Nt8U2l1lKq2hvrKaH6wARpuCf8_RFrQBb_LycxWKw1KTVsdW-vcMPk9g2tL1xIwSbCRad51MKiEnp2DseAs4cGHP8ror9XYq_VMhOmjYTZh5X=w172-h200" width="172" /></a></div>Finally, it's over to Kay for <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781949641578" target="_blank"><b>Through the Night Like a Snake: Latin American Horror Stories</b></a>, an anthology edited by Sarah Coolidge. Kay says: "This book contains ten short horror stories written by Latin American authors. Most striking is the role the terrain itself plays in setting the tone of horror in many of the stories. One story is set in a mountainous, bug-ridden jungle shack where new occupants repeatedly find tiny, finely carved animals made of bone. Another is set alongside a busy road outside a town in the Córdoba Pampass - a flat, pesticide drenched, dusty countryside. Yet another is in Chile during Pinochet’s rule, in a commune protected by the military. Perhaps extreme geographies and brutal histories both past and recent help make horror a fitting genre for Latin American writers."</div><div><br /></div><div>And those are the recs. A bunch of 'em! Check back here for more recs soon. Until then, read on.</div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-55734769863951096172024-03-08T08:00:00.000-08:002024-03-08T08:00:00.130-08:00Boswellian Kim Reads Whalefall by Daniel Kraus<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Boswellian Kim reads and reacts to <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781665918169" target="_blank"><b>Whalefall</b></a>, a novel by Daniel Kraus:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> "If you can't know what's right in front of you, you can't know what's beyond you." </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHSzu-661HyzDWHGIIxtu5W_XEiHUTndorNAOBQFTkfQC2foGVFXrAi0ZftGWfaDySkMWKwpN47j6DEH5QRu3H8D8lTyMsr58G3z-fr8TGR70a4sI3oatPMkVogMWXyq2ap3d1pF5c3R2R3z6sUrl_xt16iO1ANnFIi2LG57vWuGOYzm62a9qcR8dSLky0" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="484" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHSzu-661HyzDWHGIIxtu5W_XEiHUTndorNAOBQFTkfQC2foGVFXrAi0ZftGWfaDySkMWKwpN47j6DEH5QRu3H8D8lTyMsr58G3z-fr8TGR70a4sI3oatPMkVogMWXyq2ap3d1pF5c3R2R3z6sUrl_xt16iO1ANnFIi2LG57vWuGOYzm62a9qcR8dSLky0=w215-h146" width="215" /></a></div>Monterey, California. At 17, Jay has been at odds with his ocean-salt crusty, dogmatic, and dictatorial father since he can remember. Mitt perpetually pushes Jay to be more like him: an open water approach to life, a relentless need to be one with the ocean and a no holds barred mindset to diving that is absolute. But Jay cannot and runs away; not far, just across town. It's been a year of estrangement when Mitt is diagnosed with a butchering lung cancer, and the end is near. But Jay stands his ground; no visits or goodbyes. So, Mitt dies by his own hands in the ocean he loved above all. Jay's mother and sisters are crushed and angry, and the Monterey dive community turns against Jay. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZSd3FgfqI0k2yaMqr7Q8AnPuX0f1C0QXf-Pl6N_dD65jDoXIKPHtV_NVUtKbSTOZMdgfUd_E7DZ9bcLnjWx5UEzKCYy5Bk59mcJ7a2UH_SwoRwWSCRCBwcD2HHRRL9PE-XMDm6gwZY17lWce225D2c-8JdAMmOMrEcIex5nIqoOXNbAz4GbE2Hbg6oWO1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZSd3FgfqI0k2yaMqr7Q8AnPuX0f1C0QXf-Pl6N_dD65jDoXIKPHtV_NVUtKbSTOZMdgfUd_E7DZ9bcLnjWx5UEzKCYy5Bk59mcJ7a2UH_SwoRwWSCRCBwcD2HHRRL9PE-XMDm6gwZY17lWce225D2c-8JdAMmOMrEcIex5nIqoOXNbAz4GbE2Hbg6oWO1=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div>Jay, tired of being misunderstood, decides he'll make a dive to retrieve Mitt's bones, bringing closure and peace to himself and those he loves. The dive is dangerous. At 90 feet, on the edge of the sea cliff that sinks to infinite depths, a giant squid appears. Then TAK, TAK, TAK. The stunning, sledgehammer echolocation of a sperm whale targeting its prey. But the prey includes Jay! Beast and boy are sucked into the mouth of the whale. The search is over, and the battle for life begins.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Whalefall </i>is an extraordinary story of a father and son. Of a boy's ability to use every bit of once-thought-useless teachings to solve problems in the belly of a sea mammoth. Mitt is with him, whispering and shouting puzzle-like thoughts. Jay needs to come to terms with his father, whose ghost may very well save his life. It is the exchange of information and emotion between the two that made this story an emotional ordeal and a hold-your-breath pleasure for me. Breath sleepy as you read it.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Kim isn't the only <i>Whalefall-</i>fan (Whalefan?) among the Boswellians. From Kay Wosewick: "WOW! <i>Whalefall </i>is poignant, brainy, fascinating, and unputdownable. Did I mention unique? When I finished reading and closed the book, I was so dumbstruck that I was glued to my chair for over thirty minutes."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhs8BL2tbBp8-nrakimD_pmJI3k1M21LEmcXJxB5-V3DhcSTGtVx6TJRPDqut3n5iLuoZ4Iq6tUwrgTIkMYkV3lFAX8vu72dH6UpUkz7t4-puwxfxOGwY7mM7GEp1mmJ2Ym26jl0T3_8hxA1cW5X97C_T9jD7ccNqPeaUeIW1qVC2ys9RotNSb8UU6iQwS" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="166" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhs8BL2tbBp8-nrakimD_pmJI3k1M21LEmcXJxB5-V3DhcSTGtVx6TJRPDqut3n5iLuoZ4Iq6tUwrgTIkMYkV3lFAX8vu72dH6UpUkz7t4-puwxfxOGwY7mM7GEp1mmJ2Ym26jl0T3_8hxA1cW5X97C_T9jD7ccNqPeaUeIW1qVC2ys9RotNSb8UU6iQwS=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Event note! On Monday, April 8, 6:30 pm, <i>Whalefall </i>author Daniel Kraus will be at Boswell. <a href="http://danielkrausmke.eventbrite.com" target="_blank"><b>Please click here to visit danielkrausmke.eventbrite.com to register for this event</b></a>. You can also order your copy of <i>Whalefall</i> now. Call the store, stop by and ask a bookseller to guide you to a copy, or hey, <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781665918169" target="_blank"><b>here's the link to purchase on our website</b></a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also, book club add-on appearance note! Kraus will join the April meeting of the Boswell-run Sci-fi Book Club - it's the same evening of the event. The book club meets at 5:30 pm (once again, that's on Monday, April 8) to start the conversation, and then Kraus will join the conversation at 6 pm to answer questions - and yes, during the book club portion of the evening, you're welcome to ask questions that contain spoilers! <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book-clubs-0" target="_blank"><b>Visit our book club page right here for more book club info</b></a>.</div></div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-55474210844934924592024-02-26T11:35:00.000-08:002024-02-26T11:35:30.777-08:00Staff Recommendations, Week of February 27, 2024<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">The leap year means there's an extra day for reading all these great new books. How excellent. Here are the recs.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUAycwOfNrnyao5rp3XX2HkjtEfVRoyNqsA35vSTfQgZJhuN7SzkinO6AvWqNN7KCdxR_v4OTsLt0hv5eqgzUgNJNKzmUahpcLzeg0NCahNtCyGBSsIBO73t26ldFf7dlrlWUtoMJepNZ4S1AbjPvB4cKQusdmVbPCO4ThAdlFGVDM2uyl30Z13rpBOIyA" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUAycwOfNrnyao5rp3XX2HkjtEfVRoyNqsA35vSTfQgZJhuN7SzkinO6AvWqNN7KCdxR_v4OTsLt0hv5eqgzUgNJNKzmUahpcLzeg0NCahNtCyGBSsIBO73t26ldFf7dlrlWUtoMJepNZ4S1AbjPvB4cKQusdmVbPCO4ThAdlFGVDM2uyl30Z13rpBOIyA=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>First, Tim McCarthy recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593318256" target="_blank"><b>Wandering Stars</b></a>, the new book by Pulitzer finalist Tommy Orange. Tim says: "Tommy Orange takes us on a winding road with Jude Star and Victor Bear Shield, two men who survive the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre, and then with their descendants, leading us to characters living in the aftermath of the Big Oakland Powwow from There There. He brings the story full circle and beyond. The tone of the novel is mostly level, even as events become stunning and disturbing. I tried to see what the level voice was, and I thought at first it was resignation, a forced acceptance of the violent indignities suffered by indigenous people (and others). Then a character says he’s “so tired of enduring,” and I thought I knew. The tone is endurance. Keep moving, stay alive, find ways to feel comfort and escape, sometimes have a belief in survival, a hope for purpose and stability, a sense of home. It’s the full and true revelation of pain and endurance that makes Tommy Orange’s writing unique. It’s important, and there's a there at the end. My heart grew. Orange wrapped me in the sound of creative, perceptive, genuine truth, and I felt unexpected warmth."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDzQhKF1xeNpCKilvbtka3KfZoHqU6DG2ANu3snt9IlpfsIC4Y9oFw1qAkE-yrxYVWZNhsHyrR1YX04-2xJSVgShlDv51eZXwDoh-rE5txDtpvzktj4LR_1qk2Qw4pEVN302rfn97sVWFoinU9lZInU6Y-2UDCQ9cWiHI6nhha943UYiMkM922aozGVpmU" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDzQhKF1xeNpCKilvbtka3KfZoHqU6DG2ANu3snt9IlpfsIC4Y9oFw1qAkE-yrxYVWZNhsHyrR1YX04-2xJSVgShlDv51eZXwDoh-rE5txDtpvzktj4LR_1qk2Qw4pEVN302rfn97sVWFoinU9lZInU6Y-2UDCQ9cWiHI6nhha943UYiMkM922aozGVpmU=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Next, Daniel Goldin recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781982163891" target="_blank"><b>Burn Book: A Tech Love Story</b></a> by Kara Swisher. Daniel writes: "<i>Burn Book</i> is part memoir and part history of tech over the past thirty years. Swisher has had as much inside contact as anyone, and she’s quite opinionated, pointing out the heroes, villains, and sadly, heroes-turned-villains. In addition to reporting, she’s been vocal about diversifying the tech field. It appears that yesterday’s nerds are today’s frat bros. But she still has hope for tomorrow. Maybe the field will handle AI better than they did social media. You think? Entertaining and often insightful."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWDTmv2ghYmPbxAGfpLk3v-zjigOVXGzTIHejH6G78pqEAMylkfNG9xAJ7jmldX1wn3N-xdFzR4GveiGRxikpg132GZ5e42OGc33txZcE8IabLsNPtkQhp-mXQua5L8RL0IF7m2rMnZP7mYDVIK9SxWel3MxyoqppANtZb4JYA2VyJokXxd5CMUpWVcI8L" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWDTmv2ghYmPbxAGfpLk3v-zjigOVXGzTIHejH6G78pqEAMylkfNG9xAJ7jmldX1wn3N-xdFzR4GveiGRxikpg132GZ5e42OGc33txZcE8IabLsNPtkQhp-mXQua5L8RL0IF7m2rMnZP7mYDVIK9SxWel3MxyoqppANtZb4JYA2VyJokXxd5CMUpWVcI8L=w131-h200" width="131" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">And Greta Borgealt recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250289841" target="_blank"><b>Piglet</b></a>, a novel by Lottie Hazel. Greta opines: "Here’s a book that quietly takes on the unhealthy and unrealistic expectations that society places on women. It follows Piglet, a woman who has everything that society has told us we should strive for as modern women - a sleek, elegant job as a cookbook editor, a loving and loyal best friend, and she's getting married to an adoring man named Kit. Piglet has some of the most vivid food writing. It will leave you salivating in its precise description. This idea of idealized perfection comes to a screeching halt when Kit reveals a betrayal two weeks before the wedding. This novel shines a light on the shame and embarrassment people feel when they stay with partners who have cheated on them. It begs the question, can we really have everything we want, or in our pursuit of this will we lose more than we originally bargained?"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And those are the recs! See you back here next week (next month, wowee!) for more picks from the Boswellians. Until then, read on.</div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-8186822496337146082024-02-19T12:07:00.000-08:002024-02-19T12:26:47.344-08:00Staff Recommendations, Week of February 20, 2024, plus Catch Up Recs<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">This week we've got one rec for a brand new book, plus a handful of recommendations that have come in post-publication date from Boswellians that we want to catch you up on.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgB2mOx8FrNwdOkAxPym49tohdZ4JKYFj8LVpRpySbi2LarrSw3fE_xmzn6aOSSQwFh08FYPT9muL52jGcCxzQviQrazwTXLmHadRgXbhxMxtOxPRmLioKpoHxP7Q-820kU6OH-4BNk1HHfMZn8II0AuhSgvnWBwASbwUtGzS4w232j59xVk_LHiyJ-l_xs" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="254" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgB2mOx8FrNwdOkAxPym49tohdZ4JKYFj8LVpRpySbi2LarrSw3fE_xmzn6aOSSQwFh08FYPT9muL52jGcCxzQviQrazwTXLmHadRgXbhxMxtOxPRmLioKpoHxP7Q-820kU6OH-4BNk1HHfMZn8II0AuhSgvnWBwASbwUtGzS4w232j59xVk_LHiyJ-l_xs=w127-h200" width="127" /></a></div>The first recommendation of the week is for a book that's just this week out in English. From Chris Lee, a recommendation for <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781949641554" target="_blank"><b>About Uncle</b></a>, the first novel from Swiss author Rebecca Gisler, translated into English by Jordan Stump. Chris writes: "Gisler’s short, hypnotic novel, set in a coastal village on the outskirts of France, chronicles Uncle’s life on the outskirts of society. It’s a portrait of the tender, strange, and disgusting obligations of familial love. As Uncle retreats further and further from the world, he retreats into an animal self. Niece and nephew care for him almost as if he’s a pet. The story meanders through the family’s history, charting all the ways their lives have bent and deformed to grown around immovable Uncle. What a mesmerizing book!"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLkw8tvtUkKTFg4TSsMxI0R_hQsKroqtStHPrmzyrOKQA5dDaZ3MX6J9TPcPb2_xdzcy2i2knC7ew9HUgvYoJE2CB0qhZzoXQMpF_k2Mp4mnRYcpPVMMPs-4Yx5O6boAcw_YYcdIAetqiVjtyctcuwH3HtSDI8dqWsXdnse0BoQa83-wne8UteQwMTznWM" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="268" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLkw8tvtUkKTFg4TSsMxI0R_hQsKroqtStHPrmzyrOKQA5dDaZ3MX6J9TPcPb2_xdzcy2i2knC7ew9HUgvYoJE2CB0qhZzoXQMpF_k2Mp4mnRYcpPVMMPs-4Yx5O6boAcw_YYcdIAetqiVjtyctcuwH3HtSDI8dqWsXdnse0BoQa83-wne8UteQwMTznWM=w134-h200" width="134" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now onto a few catch-up recs. Tim McCarthy offers up the second Boswellian rave for Kaveh Akbar's breakout hit novel, <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593537619" target="_blank"><b>Martyr!</b></a>. Tim says: "Cyrus understands suffering all too well. He's sober. He stopped drinking and taking drugs, but recovery isn't enough to calm the sense of dread. Neither are his friends or his art, his poetry. They’re not enough. Cyrus doesn’t remember his mom, who was shot down in an Iranian commercial airliner by a US warship when he was just months old (yes, a real event, July 3rd, 1988). Soon afterward, his father left Tehran for Indiana with him and little else. Even as a baby, Cyrus resisted sleep. Now, decades later, it’s up to him to figure out what he truly wants. If only he had the faith and conviction of a martyr! No, he doesn’t want to kill people, just believe in something so deeply he would die for it, a death with meaning, requiring a life with meaning. It's a smart novel from a powerful writer about fear, shame, loss, ego, addiction, and the possibility of arriving at moments of genesis. The thinking is uncommon, somehow both fresh and sophisticated, while the entwined histories of Iran and America make it vital. This book more than matters to me. This book understands me!"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We hosted a marvelous event with Akbar last week - click the play button below to watch the video of Akbar's conversation with Milwaukee-based artist Nina Ghanbarzadeh.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="178" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-aYUMNndLOg" width="214" youtube-src-id="-aYUMNndLOg"></iframe></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2thWpcQ-l6iQhcM59TwCjwEmtoC5D8lrX9D0mG9naWOqCgZUlDemY9_84qdEujpcLyGxPYmZxmy7pQUBBcGoIrteTXm_4L86ZrcdA-419BTN7bsfB5gpaW0vl0pKrhwPwBUfMDAiEpBDuNa_bqr60by8M-DNTyK45eLVySdWnhHx6y_7Q5gNM0W8CHX95" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2thWpcQ-l6iQhcM59TwCjwEmtoC5D8lrX9D0mG9naWOqCgZUlDemY9_84qdEujpcLyGxPYmZxmy7pQUBBcGoIrteTXm_4L86ZrcdA-419BTN7bsfB5gpaW0vl0pKrhwPwBUfMDAiEpBDuNa_bqr60by8M-DNTyK45eLVySdWnhHx6y_7Q5gNM0W8CHX95=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Oli Schmitz offers their words for <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781646222063" target="_blank"><b>I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself</b></a>, another January release, written by Marisa Crane: "This outstanding speculative fiction debut follows a sharp, wry-voiced narrator doing her best to raise a child in a near-future dystopian surveillance state. Through a subversive story of queer parenthood in the face of loss and marginalization, Crane crafts an intimate portrait of love, shame, and persistence. Timely social commentary, dark humor, and deeply human writing make<i> I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself </i>an essential read of the 2020s."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYwtG9AFnJjFZ6tw0SQVAPqIbRf6BKMxD58IsV7oSQZOCdRAZ9DYwj5DnwgWCxMBZUggx5ZyE5hxoDian3_amL77SuWlVzsRaTt8-N9OzY68vOhqtbLW7lGI3Vcxw6ToWT7hN-rpDKfuAkvPTCVqmpeP-wcmOVRnz-piFVDINA9caPgtzZ8GxF6lqwycsA" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYwtG9AFnJjFZ6tw0SQVAPqIbRf6BKMxD58IsV7oSQZOCdRAZ9DYwj5DnwgWCxMBZUggx5ZyE5hxoDian3_amL77SuWlVzsRaTt8-N9OzY68vOhqtbLW7lGI3Vcxw6ToWT7hN-rpDKfuAkvPTCVqmpeP-wcmOVRnz-piFVDINA9caPgtzZ8GxF6lqwycsA=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">And now we have three recent recs from Greta Borgealt. Greta's first pick is <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781668028049" target="_blank"><b>Greta & Valdin</b></a> by Rebecca K Reilly - we can only guess what drove her to pick up this novel. Greta writes: "<i>Greta & Valdin </i>is the debut novel of Rebecca K Reilly and found massive success in New Zealand, where it was first published. It is a beautiful story about love overcoming hardships among siblings. The title characters are both adult siblings who live with queer identities as well as being biracial. The representation of the characters is both nuanced and humanizing. It is a literary fiction novel that is comparative with the works of Sally Rooney. It is very humorous and has the heart of a romantic comedy. The family at the center of the novel is slightly dysfunctional, but love is woven within and that seems very reminiscent of real families. This book also does an excellent job of writing queer joy in the canister of colorful emotions that the characters experience."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXtEh6_bLKS-i0luo4fDDjSDpc9yJXvQd_2Ggw-Sw89UHOtOq-rTfeYGsgZbmDvGrz0jyFy1ugY5s9YuWLaq7OC-RyX-UrTQ5sqwQq609LFnGQSp2P9dSpaHavEtlnSDeyDzwsuRVUF7c0BXNQhzb72KNPQHP2LEuflTyoPoHA37gg605_TPUUsKGIKXpL" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXtEh6_bLKS-i0luo4fDDjSDpc9yJXvQd_2Ggw-Sw89UHOtOq-rTfeYGsgZbmDvGrz0jyFy1ugY5s9YuWLaq7OC-RyX-UrTQ5sqwQq609LFnGQSp2P9dSpaHavEtlnSDeyDzwsuRVUF7c0BXNQhzb72KNPQHP2LEuflTyoPoHA37gg605_TPUUsKGIKXpL=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Greta's next selection is <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781641294874" target="_blank"><b>Rabbit Hole</b></a> by Kate Brody: "A literary thriller that puts you behind the eyes of a woman whose mind has been twisted by the wicked hands of grief since her father has taken his own life on the anniversary of her sister's disappearance. It is a wild ride as she pursues the case with the help of a teenage girl who has a strange connection to her family. The author critiques the culture of true crime and the toxicity of the internet. Much of the dialogue and discoveries the characters make take place in chat rooms and a pseudo-Reddit, which adds an interesting layer to the reading experience. Although the subject matter is very dark, the text is extremely engrossing. It is like seeing a car accident, and as much as you may want to, you find yourself unable to look away."</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmhQBqg6Qbh_rJCYG8hTO6NUJlewiXAGTGH1RnB_02jl8O3msd5pms1t-fV8oDKH0w93NiJnw-YGnthQ7xitbW0rhXdzLWXuyptbinjXFjVbsU37UsGmfaTdMgwCqz-TI2nRjvGl9ZRw7YwBlpNfOTMHpTOs7OAaAHzgbeGYWYUHT1tGOJN9F__ET8Ykrg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmhQBqg6Qbh_rJCYG8hTO6NUJlewiXAGTGH1RnB_02jl8O3msd5pms1t-fV8oDKH0w93NiJnw-YGnthQ7xitbW0rhXdzLWXuyptbinjXFjVbsU37UsGmfaTdMgwCqz-TI2nRjvGl9ZRw7YwBlpNfOTMHpTOs7OAaAHzgbeGYWYUHT1tGOJN9F__ET8Ykrg=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div>Finally, Greta suggests <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781668015544" target="_blank"><b>Sex With A Brain Injury: On Concussion and Recovery</b></a> by Annie Liontas. Greta calls this book: "A transformative memoir told in essays about a topic isn't largely discussed. It is personal to the author as she has suffered from three concussions in her lifetime. These injuries have severely affected her life and wellbeing. Liontas weaves a beautiful web of a book, telling her story as well as blending it with history and interviews with others who have suffered from similar afflictions. I felt as though the book was very expansive in giving context to head injuries, and for that I'm grateful to the author. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHt1VbTpMHk0huz1d2YPVoNNepcUShWQGOv91Jgz844pNOhtpVwuXjcf7HLnNk5B_sc2CKQSYfQ7nKOzeDeoEFM42s7HKq7knRYnpfk5w8ADLF-bNFst7CRNNjFHQ3WsktNNPPmtjDtmPxXcD-tGT39ajngSHvwTbl-wyxrAbFSKgEAGJEBhOC85Rx2WyF" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHt1VbTpMHk0huz1d2YPVoNNepcUShWQGOv91Jgz844pNOhtpVwuXjcf7HLnNk5B_sc2CKQSYfQ7nKOzeDeoEFM42s7HKq7knRYnpfk5w8ADLF-bNFst7CRNNjFHQ3WsktNNPPmtjDtmPxXcD-tGT39ajngSHvwTbl-wyxrAbFSKgEAGJEBhOC85Rx2WyF=w131-h200" width="131" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Paperback pick alert! Rebecca Makkai's latest novel, <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593490167" target="_blank"><b>I Have Some Questions for You</b></a>, gets its paperback release this week. Daniel Goldin is a fan: "Bodie Kane arrives back at Granby, the New Hampshire prep school of her youth, to teach a short class on podcasting, and one of her students asks to take as a project the case of a student death where she posits that the wrong person is in prison. And being that Bodie was her former roommate, this unearths a torrent of memories, while at the same time confronting a #metoo case focusing on her separated husband. As the story unfolds, a panoply of sexism emerges, from microaggressions (who's watching your kids?) to abuse and assault, leading Bodie to question her entire school experience while also trying to figure out exactly what happened in this case. This a twisty and sophisticated take on psychological suspense - I dare you to stop reading!"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWvS3TaWi8WCMYRxPpb4_cfrkBJAZsniSanDqYNRpzzi1rDqcToz1WN_Y6zc8IJL0bVYoGU_zep36YiHCYrUKQTmWI6Sea9z6Q_L1pa0nkiK9prtZSU3hHPwTi3AxsUpfCe3KGvDs0VJZlkWaiDd0Qh24Hw_NazDIEv-GLoMvm4dty3mWm2CxycZ-H0dIN" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWvS3TaWi8WCMYRxPpb4_cfrkBJAZsniSanDqYNRpzzi1rDqcToz1WN_Y6zc8IJL0bVYoGU_zep36YiHCYrUKQTmWI6Sea9z6Q_L1pa0nkiK9prtZSU3hHPwTi3AxsUpfCe3KGvDs0VJZlkWaiDd0Qh24Hw_NazDIEv-GLoMvm4dty3mWm2CxycZ-H0dIN=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Kathy Herbst has a paperback pick for us as well this week: <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780063142398" target="_blank"><b>Independence</b></a>, a novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Kathy says: "This powerful work of historical fiction is compassionate and compelling in its exploration of a family struggling to survive in a nation torn apart by internal conflict. During the Partition of India, both Muslims and Hindus were grateful to be free of British rule. Unfortunately, the anger and tension between two groups who once lived peacefully side by side caused unspeakable violence. A Hindu family in Bengal whose husband and father is murdered while attending to wounded from both sides of the conflict finds their world turned upside down. The wife and daughters try desperately to understand and support each other. One dreams of becoming a doctor like her father, one falls in love with a Muslim man and is banished from the family, and one struggles to find her voice and significance in the family constellation. Inspiring and gripping, with fascinating characters whose lives are woven together in often heartbreaking ways."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And those are the recommendations for the week! Lots of great stuff to read until we see you again in 7(ish) days. Until then, read on.</div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-91794563402917967762024-02-13T07:00:00.000-08:002024-02-13T07:00:00.136-08:00Staff Recommendations, Week of February 13, 2024<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">What better way to spend Galentines aka Palentines, aka, uh, Bro-entines (?) day (the day before Valentine's Day, dedicated by many to celebrating platonic friendships rather than romances) than buddying up with a new book? We've got recommendations to help you meet you next best-book-friend.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBL0A3w20VShmmE0cTD0l9jiXtyhOh5NNTqeDK3npi6tfkeEnXeJuNzWa4E5_sSFezj1Jo5HxVpznceEta-btkLNMV8HoGMT5Q_05ppwV9tLdbcOKrqC5gWRs5XoOqWYxxRKBJQqYRkTPPIPf3UNTi7ZCAW0yvk2SqG8DDstUN5kunvN9QqhD4xQmRT7o0" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="269" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBL0A3w20VShmmE0cTD0l9jiXtyhOh5NNTqeDK3npi6tfkeEnXeJuNzWa4E5_sSFezj1Jo5HxVpznceEta-btkLNMV8HoGMT5Q_05ppwV9tLdbcOKrqC5gWRs5XoOqWYxxRKBJQqYRkTPPIPf3UNTi7ZCAW0yvk2SqG8DDstUN5kunvN9QqhD4xQmRT7o0=w134-h200" width="134" /></a></div>First, from Jason Kennedy, it's <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593316764" target="_blank"><b>Plastic</b></a> by Scott Guild: "Erin is made of plastic, living in a world made up of plastic, living people, people who look like waffles, and many others that float through the story. Her life has been radically exposed to tragedy during various eco-terrorist attacks. When her job at Tablet Town is bombed, she helps and befriends another survivor who has lost someone. Can she move on? Can she reconcile her past with her future hopes and dreams? The more foreign Scott Guild makes Erin's world, the more familiar it feels."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSFQyf8lOJSmj7KP0_I48kl-tCZm2Q9brpCp0pcDtouWXN16XMecznV1C6KsCs355_YfczDitgK__-zekAYnyywjsSJwqtnWUKktvr0H48IKY-Jr0y6P2KqvfUmI2oo7_QogXpX7Gp1ciLkubS0cp4JPDFBgtm55lnwV7AhDngKqNBMwlWXherF48FEoyE" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSFQyf8lOJSmj7KP0_I48kl-tCZm2Q9brpCp0pcDtouWXN16XMecznV1C6KsCs355_YfczDitgK__-zekAYnyywjsSJwqtnWUKktvr0H48IKY-Jr0y6P2KqvfUmI2oo7_QogXpX7Gp1ciLkubS0cp4JPDFBgtm55lnwV7AhDngKqNBMwlWXherF48FEoyE=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Next up, Kay Wosewick suggests <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780063323988" target="_blank"><b>The Book of Doors</b></a> by Gareth Brown: "Booklovers are bound (ha ha) to love this novel about magic books. One evening near closing time, a regular customer leaves behind a tiny magic book inscribed to the last bookseller in the store. Great adventures begin!!"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJQs68C3BFNXFkDZxU37APP4M9Xb5Exd920HoTs7SIIV1oJ9b8xfOOxlTtu_j5tGoniNJIT7sgYk3pji16EeufG-UQ4iBPQZWEB93JS8JqvXSsE3WH69H9BUFym7oqmYXaRLkTSRwXu01nb83TJK8hXQ0A8KYwJl-19zWI87woE1qVdAPOBkGfeZfubb3c" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJQs68C3BFNXFkDZxU37APP4M9Xb5Exd920HoTs7SIIV1oJ9b8xfOOxlTtu_j5tGoniNJIT7sgYk3pji16EeufG-UQ4iBPQZWEB93JS8JqvXSsE3WH69H9BUFym7oqmYXaRLkTSRwXu01nb83TJK8hXQ0A8KYwJl-19zWI87woE1qVdAPOBkGfeZfubb3c=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div><div>And now we have Rachel Ross, who recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250266019" target="_blank"><b>The Fox Wife</b></a> by Yangsze Choo: "<i>The Fox Wife</i> is a beautiful wintry read from Yangsze Choo set in Manchurian China in 1908. Combining elements of folktale and mystery, we follow the shapeshifting fox spirit Snow as she seeks revenge for her lost child. Although she’s a supernatural creature, Snow runs up against plenty of challenges in human society since she takes the form of a young woman. While she seeks her target, the investigator Bao shadows her footsteps. Bao’s life was mysteriously touched by foxes in his youth, and now he’s determined to follow the rumors and illuminate the enigma of foxes for himself. At its heart, this is a character driven novel about how love and loss intertwine throughout life. Quietly touching and magical, pick this up to read on a snowy day."</div><div><br /></div><div>We'll be right back here next week with more books for you to fall in love with. Until then, read on.</div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-74775242857248265382024-02-05T07:00:00.000-08:002024-02-05T07:00:00.137-08:00Staff Recommendations, Week of February 6, 2024<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Now that everyone has spent a full weekend of fun celebrating Groundhog Day (this is what everyone did this weekend, right?), it's time for some more reading. Here are the weekly recommendations, courtesy of the Boswellians.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgorrz5m_MfR5WlyJ_NfH6Njpn9HB9UuaF1qqEEHQudeLJR2ja9W6n64IjC0L0rDf8VVhdaj892RekqfI-f3kY2KR5AVeiYvSLCSA1Kx9VVcJM1u614MrWgNlcgsD_Ajqij6fZC4jl97iiwB1I6BJJq1OZaVubPytGWGHMXkmDg41os7ijRE4dRmE-27lLR" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgorrz5m_MfR5WlyJ_NfH6Njpn9HB9UuaF1qqEEHQudeLJR2ja9W6n64IjC0L0rDf8VVhdaj892RekqfI-f3kY2KR5AVeiYvSLCSA1Kx9VVcJM1u614MrWgNlcgsD_Ajqij6fZC4jl97iiwB1I6BJJq1OZaVubPytGWGHMXkmDg41os7ijRE4dRmE-27lLR=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Milwaukee hometown hero Nick Petrie returns to the shelves with the latest Peter Ash thriller, #8 in this most excellent series, <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593540558" target="_blank"><b>The Price You Pay</b></a>. Two Boswellians weigh in - first, Daniel Goldin: "I’m guessing when Nick Petrie talks to fans, a lot of them want to know when we’re going to read more about Lewis’s backstory. Well, here it is! Lewis’s former buddy Teddy has been living in the Northwoods, trying to achieve a normal life. But wouldn’t you know it, his therapist-lover blabs to another guy she’s sleeping with, and wouldn’t you know it, he has ties to a crime syndicate that knows that Teddy’s stories of the Ghost Killers, who are so legendary that there’s a quarter-million-dollar bounty on bringing the gang in alive. The Ghost Killers do indeed kill, but they have a code not unlike Dexter, the serial killer of serial killers – only the extreme baddies, only when necessary. This endangers the life not just of Lewis and the gang, but everyone they love, and that includes Peter Ash and June, once they decide to help out, which of course they do. This is one of the more brutal entries in the series, and though I consider myself to have a delicate stomach for these sorts of things, I couldn’t stop reading!"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And from Chris Lee: "Here’s something I love: a good, thriller-y crime novel with the speed, the swagger, and the vibes of a 90s action flick. Petrie does it right! The setup: reluctant solver-of-problems-that-no-one-else-can-solve Peter Ash and his best bud and (often literal but sometimes just metaphorical) partner in crime Lewis are trying to hunker down all quiet and warm with their families in their cozy Milwaukee neighborhood during a freezing Midwestern February. But when a crime syndicate threatens to air out Lewis’s dirty laundry from his ‘bad old days’ as the ringleader of the country’s former foremost crew of murderers-of-murderers, well, plans change. Houses explode. Computers are hacked. Doors are kicked in. The bullets (and knockout darts!) fly. Along the way, our heroes have to ask themselves some tough questions – does their moral code really make them different from the baddies they’re chasing? Can doing bad things for good reasons ever really be right, or are we perhaps just grasping for rationalizations? Here’s one thing that’s sure: Petrie’s books are best when he writes his heroes into lousy weather. There’s just something about that classic man vs the elements vs teams of hired killers story that Petrie has perfected. This one’s a high-tension page turner where the fists are flying fast as the ice and snow."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The blog posted a day early this week just so we can alert our faithful readers that Nick Petrie will be at Boswell for a special day-before-the-official-release-date celebration of <i>The Price You Pay</i>. The event is Monday, Feb. 5, 6:30 pm at Boswell. <a href="http://nickpetriemke.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank"><b>Click here to register at nickpetriemke.eventbrite.com</b></a>. Petrie will be in conversation with Bill Schweigart, author of novels such as <i>The Guilty One</i>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1X6VgZozh_VwbY1cSRExyqnXrMv6wSxxrOh_ugByVqvjL0-PSsousQq2iXjML6j0N0h4DSjKDkJ8zrkH90-HRIFmgZCWLJjg_lpY9YrKAuyMhCM9AzvmcN8q7dSomkvYkkgWZ3bY57ryQQSMe2G85yYGRKAOj36IsLizy1OOLT1r3PAl505AeYE5g0hlg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1X6VgZozh_VwbY1cSRExyqnXrMv6wSxxrOh_ugByVqvjL0-PSsousQq2iXjML6j0N0h4DSjKDkJ8zrkH90-HRIFmgZCWLJjg_lpY9YrKAuyMhCM9AzvmcN8q7dSomkvYkkgWZ3bY57ryQQSMe2G85yYGRKAOj36IsLizy1OOLT1r3PAl505AeYE5g0hlg=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>The next rec is from Kay Wosewick, who suggest you read <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250178633" target="_blank"><b>The Women</b></a>, the latest novel by Kristin Hannah. Kay says: "<i>The Women</i> is a gorgeous, intimate, long overdue ode to Vietnam’s women vets. Hannah’s hero eventually finds some peace, but many women did not return home or returned home too broken to live well. Thanks to Kristin, this novel will surely bring long-overdue recognition of and thankfulness for the brave women who served in Vietnam."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_ktpZoGr6oBT8U9w0cTQmRDmhIyYSm71zSW5DjRaAA0RHoZG2QYQFGWeGuzUnAUuSRS3rkpcg2aZwC_0Rf6eVmU9UO9386T5MFIrsso_G8f75IHtotwvX_BkRhpPlnYuGwHBl590jnbbJB-irkrxAjTEKVzvw9WFiENeVkFbMdLbGE49L2ME0UnFRAMn8" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_ktpZoGr6oBT8U9w0cTQmRDmhIyYSm71zSW5DjRaAA0RHoZG2QYQFGWeGuzUnAUuSRS3rkpcg2aZwC_0Rf6eVmU9UO9386T5MFIrsso_G8f75IHtotwvX_BkRhpPlnYuGwHBl590jnbbJB-irkrxAjTEKVzvw9WFiENeVkFbMdLbGE49L2ME0UnFRAMn8=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Next up, we go back to Chris for his take on the academic literary world send-up, <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781668011423" target="_blank"><b>Set for Life</b></a>, the debut novel by Andrew Ewell. Chris writes: "His marriage, his friendships, his novel, his career, his ego – just how fast can one man sabotage them all? I want to give a copy of this to every writer I know. It’s at once a riotous sendup of academic creative writing culture and a sincere portrait of a writer bumbling his way toward something like honesty in his art and in his life. It’s a darn good book."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiX18PaOmTQqWKOaXQj3_jcWk8zGpFEFQspEQa2UnB9aIIjx4UDBywIn01xMAJ7rSY3JcX_BUEpGMatqrGX65qG-CR_AZnwBraOPh55WgtqbNQ4mOnNBy1WphUILQXVsxNc8QznvRMXov-y7P8YUlRkpDnqR-XjCJhRZZshZAF35Cy7-TnZZOfSv-tpaMM" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiX18PaOmTQqWKOaXQj3_jcWk8zGpFEFQspEQa2UnB9aIIjx4UDBywIn01xMAJ7rSY3JcX_BUEpGMatqrGX65qG-CR_AZnwBraOPh55WgtqbNQ4mOnNBy1WphUILQXVsxNc8QznvRMXov-y7P8YUlRkpDnqR-XjCJhRZZshZAF35Cy7-TnZZOfSv-tpaMM=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><div>And now, another event book joins the fray, with recommendations from Daniel and Kathy Herbst. That would be <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593537046" target="_blank"><b>The Road from Belhaven</b></a> by Margo Livesey. Daniel says: "When Lizzie’s parents die and her grandparents take custody of her, it slowly becomes clear that she’s meant to inherit the family farm, with only a few complications. One, the boy she’s interested in has big-city plans. Two, Lizzie discovers she has an older sister. And three, Lizzie’s somewhat uncontrollable second sight predicts more complications. Yet despite not being able to control this gift, she can still make her own choices. Set in nineteenth century Scotland, Lizzie’s hardscrabble coming-of-age story is inspired by Livesey’s own grandmother. A compelling story, beautifully told (my favorite Livesey novel to date!), and likely appeal to fans of Claire Keegan and Jeannette Walls."</div><div><br /></div><div>And Kathy adds: "Growing up on her grandparents' farm in 19th century Scotland, Lizzie is still a child when she begins having glimpses into the future. She doesn't see everything, and she has to accept the reality that she has no control over what she sees. The life she has known changes dramatically when a sister she didn't know she had comes to live on the farm, and Lizzie begins to question what she believed to be true about her family and what she kind of life she wants for herself. An absorbing story that takes us on a journey with Lizzie as she leaves the farm and moves to Glasgow to follow a young man she is in love with and to create a different life for herself. What happens to Lizzie, how her life evolves, and the sometimes difficult the choices she has to make are at the center of this heartfelt book. Written with compassion for a flawed but still engaging young woman."</div><div><br /></div><div>Livesey joins us at Boswell for a conversation with Milwaukee author Liam Callanan on Wednesday, February 21, at 6:30 pm. <a href="http://margotliveseymke.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank"><b>Click here to register and more at margotliveseymke.eventbrite.com</b></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicX7f_-I_y1VvRLXeay_47CxH8H7PIRPJKmwGvbwi_sFjvnnvwQey7mQfK3chzXi7h7Bin6YGtuqYldOzT6tLjGBUsTh0_0xjNPXjruG_YsVhyyOWFwigkX9pFWDRJGnz7OLKz3eJ0UrVB_mk9pH9iBDnoEC9Pzyb8s9hG8-dUjtrYdDnPy6gOU_bPjonA" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="250" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicX7f_-I_y1VvRLXeay_47CxH8H7PIRPJKmwGvbwi_sFjvnnvwQey7mQfK3chzXi7h7Bin6YGtuqYldOzT6tLjGBUsTh0_0xjNPXjruG_YsVhyyOWFwigkX9pFWDRJGnz7OLKz3eJ0UrVB_mk9pH9iBDnoEC9Pzyb8s9hG8-dUjtrYdDnPy6gOU_bPjonA=w125-h200" width="125" /></a></div>Finally, we wrap up the new book recommending by heading back to Kay for her words about <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250892201" target="_blank"><b>Your Shadow Half Remains</b></a> by Sunny Moraine. Kay says: "A brutal plague of sorts spreads rapidly - mere eye contact with someone immediately makes both enraged and deranged; usually they kill each other. Dead bodies are on the street, in homes, in stores - everywhere. Riley thinks she might be safe at her grandparents’ home in the country. She finds their messy remains, cleans up, and moves in. Living alone for an extended period of time is, well, not mentally healthy, especially on top of PSTD. Enjoy a dose of quiet horror in a tiny package."</div><div><br /></div><div>Now onto the picks in the paperback realm. We've got one book to recommend that's getting its second life as a softcover this week.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZ5IFepykYoXpxfSGL-4teklWTvMZGhti_bpzaoW-V2ifRB-DJ7F_MMYY-zBtG5TAnuwiJ_pJhJAO143shKe4cSUrpNxoy5KX1DA5qo1QVJq4Kjvv6o2c9chEgB9Xz8JaT3KOolz_MI2NiCNllA71PnjV4EHegI61OPu693kS6IVUk1F8gD8Pmin2nHkC5" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZ5IFepykYoXpxfSGL-4teklWTvMZGhti_bpzaoW-V2ifRB-DJ7F_MMYY-zBtG5TAnuwiJ_pJhJAO143shKe4cSUrpNxoy5KX1DA5qo1QVJq4Kjvv6o2c9chEgB9Xz8JaT3KOolz_MI2NiCNllA71PnjV4EHegI61OPu693kS6IVUk1F8gD8Pmin2nHkC5=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div>Jason Kennedy recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780525512103" target="_blank"><b>Lone Women</b></a> by Victor LaValle: "I can barely contain myself when a Victor LaValle book is announced, and <i>Lone Women</i> doesn't disappoint at all. Adelaide is running away from a horrifying situation in California; she treks to Montana with a secret and a big, locked trunk. Montana is a huge land with few people, and Adelaide hopes that she can hide her secret away, until the secret escapes to terrifying consequences. She meets people who aren't who they say they are and don't have her best interests at heart. Who can she trust? Does she really understand her burden that she has been saddled with? This brilliant historic, horror novel will bring questions like these into focus."</div><div><br /></div><div>Those are the recs and we're sticking to 'em. Until next week, read on!</div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-5007696005708317072024-01-30T07:00:00.000-08:002024-01-30T11:51:35.063-08:00Staff Recommendations, Week of January 30, 2024<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">It's the last week of January already - where did it go!? Well, if you did things right, it flew by as you were reading all of the great books we've been recommending. Here are some more.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyrdEFGRB-LELyZfK3TWyTzCDI2ARN0yTfFOHaSUg9MLZsnxdDnK_Aa-smxW17rJDvGhrBKi9Pj_MBlnxsFUabVgyQRniEkJn_Fmt_B6OlE_bHY7N6ItJ5WEwq6b8P7W1CBlylS2nG19V7La38Fgwsle3sQDQST5YJU2q_2_xoFwNx8cJCBCSsXTvtYMj0" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyrdEFGRB-LELyZfK3TWyTzCDI2ARN0yTfFOHaSUg9MLZsnxdDnK_Aa-smxW17rJDvGhrBKi9Pj_MBlnxsFUabVgyQRniEkJn_Fmt_B6OlE_bHY7N6ItJ5WEwq6b8P7W1CBlylS2nG19V7La38Fgwsle3sQDQST5YJU2q_2_xoFwNx8cJCBCSsXTvtYMj0=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Daniel Goldin starts us off with the new novel by Kiley Reid, author of the hit novel <i>Such a Fun Age</i>. Her new book is <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593328200" target="_blank"><b>Come and Get It</b></a>, and of it Daniel says: "You can get an idea of how academics feel about the current state of academia by what they put in their novels. Having already recent takes from Nathan Hill and Julie Schumacher, I was primed for Kiley Reid’s <i>Come and Get It</i>. When Millie Cousins, a dorm resident at the University of Arkansas, agrees to find students as source material for Visiting Professor Agatha Paul’s forthcoming book on marriage, nobody realizes quite how messy this is going to be. Told through the perspectives of Millie, Agatha, and Kennedy, one of the students, Reid’s terrific second novel has all of the cringey humor you could hope for, wrapped in a discussion about race, gender, class, power, and a whole lot of wanting stuff."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Greta Borgealt also recommends the latest for Reid. Greta says: "It's 2017, and school is in session at the University of Arkansas in Kiley Reid's sophomore novel. It focuses on a group of undergrads who are the residents and RAs of a scholarship dorm. Another central character is a critically acclaimed writer who starts teaching there. Ethics and class play a crucial role in the lives of these rich characters. The lines of right and wrong look a little blurry at times in their minds. This is evident in the messy entanglement between the professor and one of the RAs. This is just one instance of drama that lives within the pages. Being a few years out of college myself, it was interesting to read about the social circles that were in a college at time so close to my own stay in academia. Like any college, there are sororities, parties, and dorm decorations, but unlike my experience, some of the main characters always seem to have money on their minds. They're either getting more than they should from their parents, or it is a constant weight on their shoulders. I could relate to one of the characters who suffers from loneliness when she transfers to the University. I found that my first year, as it is for many, was often times very lonely. Although I related to her struggle as I reader, I'm not sure I can say that I liked the character. It is complex. There is a lot of character development in the novel, but sometimes the residents of the dorm came across as entitled and privileged, especially in comparison to some of their older peers. They certainly don't have everything figured out, but most people don't at 21 years old. This book is powerful in its ability to entertain the reader while simultaneously critiquing the setting it resides in."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_uwJVl5Qsz6Vo6RqM7-T2dVnxYcqS6Gm8TVIzEoEwWqJb2sJ0F2hX2aITo5zV2tVX3KQqFr6G3uk1srNT-oVpwdLm1hvhf-YAnII0g0mC9gnXLzv3uctXGHqsKYiGXgjMWXvSKGkXUlg2XnXSorKIoQMEzd78W5zWVtzM4jeq506277-sFV6uHw_lYN_a" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_uwJVl5Qsz6Vo6RqM7-T2dVnxYcqS6Gm8TVIzEoEwWqJb2sJ0F2hX2aITo5zV2tVX3KQqFr6G3uk1srNT-oVpwdLm1hvhf-YAnII0g0mC9gnXLzv3uctXGHqsKYiGXgjMWXvSKGkXUlg2XnXSorKIoQMEzd78W5zWVtzM4jeq506277-sFV6uHw_lYN_a=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div>Jason Kennedy suggests you check out <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780063279070" target="_blank"><b>Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect</b></a>, the sequel to the similarly mouthful-titled <i>Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone</i>, by Benjamin Stevenson. Jason writes: "Ernest is back! After the tumultuous and deadly happenings in <i>Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone</i>, Ernest is at an Australian Mystery Writer’s Festival. Which, as the title gives away, is on a train. Not just any train, but a train that cuts through a huge swath of Australia and cuts in and out of cell phone range at various points. And as Ernest tells us, “Seven writers board a train. At the end of the line, five will leave it alive. One will be in cuffs.” Another locked room mystery in which Ernest attempts to teach us the finer points of writing a mystery novel. Highly entertaining and hilarious - I had to race through to know who did it!"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCa-PdBgCgSOTgk0sqiPjbvkM-M14OOETvU0PGup-Hd3obzj5zxVUPmROPpbNSR0clcQW-rdLi7At85TzCkGf3b3oVoBGEbjIzFqw2zNO4lCJS78Rd1j4qOSjkAH7Z0UkrJaFx9MAlSn0h39f3yRkLHxguKTGsYG7Ahc76miK_qXG49cX8lyKPM4tgQctO" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCa-PdBgCgSOTgk0sqiPjbvkM-M14OOETvU0PGup-Hd3obzj5zxVUPmROPpbNSR0clcQW-rdLi7At85TzCkGf3b3oVoBGEbjIzFqw2zNO4lCJS78Rd1j4qOSjkAH7Z0UkrJaFx9MAlSn0h39f3yRkLHxguKTGsYG7Ahc76miK_qXG49cX8lyKPM4tgQctO=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div>Finally, we go back to Greta for her write-up for <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781668014233" target="_blank"><b>Interesting Facts About Space</b></a>, a new novel from Emily Austin. Greta says: "The marketing really caught my eye for this book and drew me in because it stated this book is for anyone who has ever wondered if they were a terrible person. I don't know if this is a concept that everyone grapples with at a time in their lives, but I could relate. This book is about Enid; she is a lesbian serial dater who is deaf in one ear, obsessed with space and true crime, and is afraid of bald men. Austin uses black comedy to tell this literary story through the main character's stream of consciousness. Enid, she is a character that a certain audience can relate to. She is flawed, but she's still loveable. The messiness of her life can induce a little anxiety in the reader, but overall, it has a hopeful message, and there is great representation of a neurodivergent person. The thing I love most about this book is the Enid's relationship with her mother, because her mother is one of the people Enid has let close enough to understand her, and they truly love each other even though the majority of their conversations in the novel are about space."</div><div><br /></div><div>Those are our picks for the week! We'll be back next week with more great reads. Until then, read on.</div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-39775707870012864392024-01-24T09:48:00.000-08:002024-01-24T09:48:41.338-08:00Staff Recommendations, Week of January 23, 2024<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">This week, it's all Chris with all the recs. Here are three picks from Chris (you know, me, the guy who compiles these blogs - yay!).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCcX8pEg0xxW-CayGxuhSpCjSiRR3Y68-Ij__Qz5KztoVngP6JUbcPB3DPv3db7vlsAeHKpPDRnj-CCld-fK0rVzZ0sNwVr2mGMsysCpGrPTkRIIok_I8QjxT7rXVOpLFUOQFZ-RJbH0FggZYNb4wWcL_m1Lrhg7BCZiprVOfnCcRl-fLMVT3JIsvzNbzO" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="268" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCcX8pEg0xxW-CayGxuhSpCjSiRR3Y68-Ij__Qz5KztoVngP6JUbcPB3DPv3db7vlsAeHKpPDRnj-CCld-fK0rVzZ0sNwVr2mGMsysCpGrPTkRIIok_I8QjxT7rXVOpLFUOQFZ-RJbH0FggZYNb4wWcL_m1Lrhg7BCZiprVOfnCcRl-fLMVT3JIsvzNbzO=w134-h200" width="134" /></a></div>My first pick is <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593537619" target="_blank"><b>Martyr!</b></a>, the debut novel from acclaimed poet Kaveh Akbar. As you've probably seen, there are raves all over for this novel - here is my rather breathless addition to the conversation: "I like it, I love it, I want some more of it! A meditation on life, death, and finding meaning somewhere between the two. What part of ourselves must we destroy to transcend the violence of the world? Definitely the early frontrunner, with a large lead, for my favorite book of the year."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div>Akbar will be at Boswell on Tuesday, February 13, 6:30 pm, in conversation with Nina Ghanbarzadeh. <a href="http://kavehakbarmke.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank"><b>Click here for more info and registration at kavehakbarmke.eventbrite.com</b></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRAkSOfNU-7K0B3DfF9o-R4cK4LwEcu8ITFnEe3t5Y0QveKNKezsQaLQMg6h5OeEsYXokIzRPf4dfpFe3kdPNpz-sGgyGtlhh2sLo_p-_qFIL-vBbAgFjyiEmXCdSyNdkFGpJAYBaxTUz2oCqQb4KT9fdxcYYop-vBlBcKO5U4h2nIvm9TF_VWeO2RzdDq" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRAkSOfNU-7K0B3DfF9o-R4cK4LwEcu8ITFnEe3t5Y0QveKNKezsQaLQMg6h5OeEsYXokIzRPf4dfpFe3kdPNpz-sGgyGtlhh2sLo_p-_qFIL-vBbAgFjyiEmXCdSyNdkFGpJAYBaxTUz2oCqQb4KT9fdxcYYop-vBlBcKO5U4h2nIvm9TF_VWeO2RzdDq=w131-h200" width="131" /></a></div>My next selection is <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781982196745" target="_blank"><b>Last Acts</b></a>, another debut novel, by Alexander Sammartino. My write up: "When Rizzo’s son Nick survives an overdose, Rizzo brings him home with dollar signs in his eyes. Together, they’ll save his overleveraged gun store. But does Nick want to help? Does he even want to live? Sammartino has penned a really funny and honest novel about America’s addictions: to drugs, guns, and money, to salvation and second acts, and to strip malls, get-rich schemes, and advertising. I especially love how <i>Last Acts</i> captures the Southwestern landscape - the whitewash sunlight, the dry, hot winds, and the Waffle House and tract housing sprawl of Phoenix nestled into the valleys between the Sonoran Desert’s mountains. A sharp, observant debut."</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYx5OZVORH8IPNRkarvAExY5b_sX1vRT8hNMtwZLnTf6w_Zz1-Po6Ntp_48X-Ar6jvPPGOMJgg21fOv57XvyzcCbI1ZCQ1nMO0nRRn22EapHcC8tfsoLvJiY9larPwDKjm4ZUsDpTNFKR10OOGc_C7Hpe_F2vIkix39uOV9zBAcpmh3Scr87QAsHH-1-ja" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="256" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYx5OZVORH8IPNRkarvAExY5b_sX1vRT8hNMtwZLnTf6w_Zz1-Po6Ntp_48X-Ar6jvPPGOMJgg21fOv57XvyzcCbI1ZCQ1nMO0nRRn22EapHcC8tfsoLvJiY9larPwDKjm4ZUsDpTNFKR10OOGc_C7Hpe_F2vIkix39uOV9zBAcpmh3Scr87QAsHH-1-ja=w128-h200" width="128" /></a></div><div>And finally, a paperback original entitled <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781955904865" target="_blank"><b>Bad Foundations</b></a> by Brian Allen Carr, whose last novel was <i>Opioid, Indiana</i>, and it was another of which I was a big fan. Of the new one, I say: "Cracks in the foundations, ghosts in the crawlspaces. Cook is sorta stoned on gas station Delta-8 and looking for both across Indiana and Ohio. Carr’s latest is a book about money. It’s about trying to be a decent parent in spite of yourself. And it’s about trying to hang on to some your soul in a world that grinds you to the bone. Most of all, <i>Bad Foundations </i>is the story of all the Midwestern boys who grew up being told, ‘get an education,’ and so they did, only to find out later that nobody really cares about a philosophy degree, or an English degree, or any other degree except the one to which someone is willing to get themselves dirty for a few bucks. It’s funny, and it’s sad, an irreverent, heartbreaking ode to all the unstable foundations upon which so many American lives are built."</div><div><br /></div><div>And those are the recs! We'll be back next week with more great new books. Until then, read on!</div></div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-82132387574643136652024-01-17T12:36:00.000-08:002024-01-17T13:03:51.070-08:00Staff Recommendations, Week of January 16, 2023<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">A few suggestions of what to read this week from your friendly neighborhood Boswellians.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTq8Q7NQOVzIC28uDyyYQqY5R74uuzZfXmW-nunOvLKng7jy3iqZy4J6yPZ_rkhNv43po7z4R-IMT5CYWwAyLbqLjhVY9wBonzh9NdVCO_1oYx_NmN_cynEik5XTmqzdM0O-f1fZljXsU2tp24lc9SoyzGBp6rUxnbV1WbSGuaxnALna7mrg3SKSmQgCrh" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTq8Q7NQOVzIC28uDyyYQqY5R74uuzZfXmW-nunOvLKng7jy3iqZy4J6yPZ_rkhNv43po7z4R-IMT5CYWwAyLbqLjhVY9wBonzh9NdVCO_1oYx_NmN_cynEik5XTmqzdM0O-f1fZljXsU2tp24lc9SoyzGBp6rUxnbV1WbSGuaxnALna7mrg3SKSmQgCrh=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Daniel Goldin starts off our recommending this week with an upcoming event book - Amina Gautier's new collection of flash fiction entitled <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781593767587" target="_blank"><b>The Best That You Can Do: Stories</b></a>. Daniel says: "Gautier, who is Professor of English at Marquette, has written three previous award-winning collections of stories. In her fourth, flash fiction pieces (generally two-to-three-page stories) are clustered together (as few as six and as many as 27) to form a powerful larger narrative. One of my favorites is 'Quarter Rican,' which focuses on a woman (and her children and grandchildren), who falls in love with and is then abandoned by her friend’s brother. Another is 'Caretaking' about a homebound woman, her caregiver, and the folks in the greater orbit. Her best stories can be simultaneously humorous, empathetic, and politically pointed - they play with time, place, and perspective, giving the larger narratives an almost three-dimensional quality."</div><div><br /></div><div>Gautier's will visit Boswell for this book on Thursday, January 25, 6:30 pm. <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/amina-gautier-author-of-the-best-that-you-can-do-a-boswell-event-tickets-753484160407?aff=oddtdtcreator" target="_blank"><b>Click right here to register and find out more</b></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikyKn61Q1d7dhddqA8AMR1d3u6X8Q28RcpRYRBmNad8YdFjy0Pdc1vrg13oeILAljnCD0AFkJrl2BCURcCDAFgnnYPsMrz29vleOWLGuIdnUzJj3-p80h3CuqdwQTF9aV0mAddh6rdHz3aAtAsfsyiGzBqpYXO2Ungkj2h_TA-AleY1pEFL4XfYX7Oo09v" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikyKn61Q1d7dhddqA8AMR1d3u6X8Q28RcpRYRBmNad8YdFjy0Pdc1vrg13oeILAljnCD0AFkJrl2BCURcCDAFgnnYPsMrz29vleOWLGuIdnUzJj3-p80h3CuqdwQTF9aV0mAddh6rdHz3aAtAsfsyiGzBqpYXO2Ungkj2h_TA-AleY1pEFL4XfYX7Oo09v=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Next up, it's a classic double rec. Kay Wosewick and Jen Steele both suggest you check out <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250758989" target="_blank"><b>The Fury</b></a>, the new novel from Alex Michaelides. Kay says: "This locked-room thriller (OK, private island thriller) is filled with big personalities, hidden histories, theatrical behaviors, and, of course, a murder. The twists and turns are masterful and almost endless. Michaelides fried my brain again." </div><div><br /></div><div>And from Jen: "<i>The Fury </i>is a striking thriller with a cinematic, noir feel - definite <i>Sunset Boulevard</i> vibes. There's an unreliable narrator, a reclusive movie star, and a cast of characters full of secrets and motives. This was one novel I did not want to put down!"</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIHFmIQ4uV32c5Zoxq3yYLDELGMNHIiib8GBmQz5aTH2Vh29B4HUK1OQtA8G8mdhQQ91WaG7okvSkPk5zfa5AME-FTdtw2lHeX-6iFGUR-Xw4n73bIJ4vVl9kLOV6H3gxXZt_JFl5ln_17h5iTxU36213jDuk3v2ztx7MgePTWF87fLhwK7bSM53spNsCn" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIHFmIQ4uV32c5Zoxq3yYLDELGMNHIiib8GBmQz5aTH2Vh29B4HUK1OQtA8G8mdhQQ91WaG7okvSkPk5zfa5AME-FTdtw2lHeX-6iFGUR-Xw4n73bIJ4vVl9kLOV6H3gxXZt_JFl5ln_17h5iTxU36213jDuk3v2ztx7MgePTWF87fLhwK7bSM53spNsCn=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><div>And now, back to Daniel Goldin for another event book - last night's event, in fact (assuming you are reading this blog the day it's published)! The book is <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780063161412" target="_blank"><b>True North</b></a>, the author is Andrew Graff, and the review is this: "It’s the early nineties and Sam Brecht has just bought his uncle’s rafting business in the Wisconsin Northwoods. But what he doesn’t know is that the town has some new slick competition, and on top of that, there’s talk of selling out what turns out to be sacred Native land to out-of-town miners. And what Sam hasn’t told his wife Swami is that his teaching job is on shaky ground – there’s no back-up plan. <i>True North</i> is an adventure novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat rooting for their marriage, their business, non-catastrophic runs, and the wilderness itself. I guess you’d call that quadruple excitement!"</div></div><div><div><br /></div><div>While you may have missed out event with Andrew Graff, it doesn't mean it's gone forever - we recorded his conversation, and you can click the video icon below to watch him chat about this novel of whitewater adventure. Not a bad way to spend an hour on a cold day like today!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="164" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dIZnNymGtc8" width="197" youtube-src-id="dIZnNymGtc8"></iframe></div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLH2dXmzrRbH2CEIMKWVblzdKoxUTGVQzUVrD_lbYPb7fjCJV_c8r9b0p1-MiZkWvvVBC2Nv0yqOSMh6CI5CI0NTSV-q0PbB3wT5ty97cA_-TwYKOsVDZ4pYZvcpWR5lzMGKoMP0EFyXeGBATFkUJTV1OrnR66L0XA_COyaYycURgEulywjSQqqT_DpPhf" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="247" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLH2dXmzrRbH2CEIMKWVblzdKoxUTGVQzUVrD_lbYPb7fjCJV_c8r9b0p1-MiZkWvvVBC2Nv0yqOSMh6CI5CI0NTSV-q0PbB3wT5ty97cA_-TwYKOsVDZ4pYZvcpWR5lzMGKoMP0EFyXeGBATFkUJTV1OrnR66L0XA_COyaYycURgEulywjSQqqT_DpPhf=w123-h200" width="123" /></a></div>Now we go over to Jenny Chou for her write up of <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593500194" target="_blank"><b>Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands</b></a> by Heather Fawcett. Jenny says: "Book One in this delightful series about Emily Wilde, recently tenured professor of Faerie folklore, bookish introvert, quasher of pleasant conversation, and oh-so-clever heroine, made my list of Top Five Books of 2023, so imagine my excitement upon stumbling across (much as Emily Wilde is wont to) an advance copy of Book Two. Her life’s work of assembling an encyclopaedia with an entry on every species of the fae complete, she begins a new project: a map of the realms of Faerie. Meddling in her plans as always is the exiled Faerie king, Wendell Bambleby, who has not given up his hope of coaxing Emily to marry him. This time the meddling isn’t entirely his fault, as one cannot always prevent one’s own attempted murder. His stepmother's poisonous scheme leads Emily back to the Faerie realm in search of a remedy, armed only with her wits, an extensive knowledge of the fae, and Wendell's (un)helpful advice to find his cat. I adored this next installment of the Emily Wilde series for the romance, the witty sparring, and the cleverly built world readers will want to visit again and again. Book Three can’t get here soon enough."</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEVIc3UVAdWsA0LwVZWoSoO--33VlWAWU7wxqWZIYlbJZCSHFsgC2pDM9Lgg479CfA4sIrFsZBLCqCvM4yaN7iMMSGly8AVK73S4zanf30MRgTKxYkbtNzDWi6aFKLxmMp6qXa4vcYSrBiAy0AUbdcA5xsoClI1HCL10XC-wc4I_0eykDqlIPmQWz606t7" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEVIc3UVAdWsA0LwVZWoSoO--33VlWAWU7wxqWZIYlbJZCSHFsgC2pDM9Lgg479CfA4sIrFsZBLCqCvM4yaN7iMMSGly8AVK73S4zanf30MRgTKxYkbtNzDWi6aFKLxmMp6qXa4vcYSrBiAy0AUbdcA5xsoClI1HCL10XC-wc4I_0eykDqlIPmQWz606t7=w131-h200" width="131" /></a></div>We wrap up the new releases with Oli Schmitz and their recommendation of <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250869807" target="_blank"><b>Most Ardently: A Pride and Prejudice Remix</b></a> by Gabe Cole Novoa. Oli says: "<i>Most Ardently </i>is the queer and trans <i>Pride and Prejudice </i>retelling of my DREAMS, using the structure of the source text– a tale of moving from misunderstanding to growth and acceptance – to deliver an emotional and ultimately hopeful journey to trans joy. Novoa's new take on the classic Austen novel is beautifully done and engaging all the way through, with changes to the original plot and location (bringing the characters closer to London) that enable a strong connection to real queer history. I think contemporary readers will relate easily to Oliver Bennet, whose resolve to be seen as himself transcends his Regency-era London setting. Gabe Cole Novoa's contribution to the Remixed Classics series is a charming and accessible approach to a classic story, one that can resonate with readers regardless of their familiarity with<i> Pride and Prejudice</i> or their relationships to gender non-conformity. This is the sort of young adult novel that I desperately wish I'd had access to as a teen, and I'm so happy that it exists for readers today."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGlTW-y0ta3GruCRrv_RipUJrOcfPbq-3lnTFZuO45wShos_1SHN1Ogl4pbUj_QbzT9a8HnUpe1N7uZ7goZ2baWuSyfJYnS49qnmTtcwOe7cLipsch8oxlHLdC88u82JOj9mIPRFh8RjplaPiXM56dIbFpXnTYN3VWrb6Wcx76uE2R9CAq07Hknt2zp0JH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGlTW-y0ta3GruCRrv_RipUJrOcfPbq-3lnTFZuO45wShos_1SHN1Ogl4pbUj_QbzT9a8HnUpe1N7uZ7goZ2baWuSyfJYnS49qnmTtcwOe7cLipsch8oxlHLdC88u82JOj9mIPRFh8RjplaPiXM56dIbFpXnTYN3VWrb6Wcx76uE2R9CAq07Hknt2zp0JH=w131-h200" width="131" /></a></div>Over in the paperback department, we've got Kay Wosewick recommending <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9798889660316" target="_blank"><b>The Dolphin House</b></a>, a novel by Audrey Schulman. Kay writes: "The inspiration for Schulman's novel is a brief but groundbreaking study conducted on dolphins in the summer of 1965. A young woman is hired to feed four 'research' dolphins who live in a lagoon on St. Thomas. Having grown up around pigs and horses (intelligent animals), Cora is naturally curious. Unlike the scientists, she gets in the water, and is immediately struck by a fascinating variety of sounds. The dolphins flee to the farthest corner, so Cora pretends to be busy and ignores them. Perfect! The dolphins soon come to check her out, and so begins their friendship. In a very short time, Cora devises ways to communicate with the dolphins - a gigantic step in animal research at the time. Scientists and journalist from around the world come to St. Thomas, and soon the world knows that dolphins are highly intelligent creatures. Schulman's story is breathtaking, heartwarming, and heartbreaking, and a must-read for animal lovers."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV9RJfelPJTrNV8rR3NnZJhX81RrHbRCra9ni_uQ9AKT_vzbgmw4c0CO74O2_vE_tFl9YAbSlsXLALiR52_sVerxUH0AFcofEgevwtP-wShy-VSJAWem5nQyl-CUl3Ulu7c9i0BVqJOC_ee0g-KKWhqR0h5Vx1xNDGExwDpA19b3Jv8h_nT53BqlxB7lJj" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV9RJfelPJTrNV8rR3NnZJhX81RrHbRCra9ni_uQ9AKT_vzbgmw4c0CO74O2_vE_tFl9YAbSlsXLALiR52_sVerxUH0AFcofEgevwtP-wShy-VSJAWem5nQyl-CUl3Ulu7c9i0BVqJOC_ee0g-KKWhqR0h5Vx1xNDGExwDpA19b3Jv8h_nT53BqlxB7lJj=w131-h200" width="131" /></a></div>This week also sees the anticipated paperback release of <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780399562976" target="_blank"><b>Horse</b></a> by Geraldine Brooks. We've got recs from two Boswellians here. First, from Daniel Goldin: "Much like <i>People of the Book</i> chronicled the Sarajevo Haggadah through a contemporary rare books expert, <i>Horse </i>tells the story of Lexington, a legendary horse whose bloodline courses through many a prized thoroughbred, via the investigations of Jess, a White scientist at the Smithsonian bone lab, and Theo, a Black art historian who comes into possession of a once-lost painting. In telling the story of the groom Jarret Lewis, Brooks chronicles how slavery was entwined in the horse breeding and racing, benefitting stakeholders even if they didn’t own slaves themselves, and the legacy of racism that Theo endures. Brooks’s novels celebrate the untold stories that are in the margins of history; she’s done it again with <i>Horse</i>, and the fact that her late husband, beloved writer Tony Horwitz (<i>Confederates in the Attic</i>), helped her with the research, makes her latest novel even more poignant."</div><div><br /></div><div>And from Tim McCarthy: "<i>Horse </i>is based on the life of a truly great American racehorse in the middle 1800s named Darley, who came to be known as Lexington. It's also the story of Lexington's glory being rediscovered many years later at the Smithsonian, by lovers of animals and paintings. The stallion's history is endearing, and through his courage and grace, Brooks reveals the nature of people and of America, on the brink of Civil War and as we live now. She’s adept at showing the beautiful Kentucky landscape, the personality of the horses, and the spectacle of racing in a society where whites casually own people. All this in stark contrast with the anguish and terror of being owned and used at the owner’s whim. It’s the enslaved young trainer Jarret’s close connection with the horse that fully exposes the single-minded profit motive for possessing them both. Jarret tells us that, in the end, it's only horses who are honest, and in the end a memorable story needs heart and strong characters. This novel has both, in human and equine form."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7W8GBhcrOthVG8kheflJzjiR0wXdXu3NyejMbm3HWPiJi4oVnRJnWmGT1ZfeGIo64WFZityGBcW4JgkqK0ko50q_Z0us3w1qP-pRwfOPYfun4NxdIHLQgXi5uIrbqTT5HW0tRg5haJcz9qclI2bTRT5R-kVlS3Y1ncz6EDyNcI_C3rEAqvuKQ7tldJtzl" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7W8GBhcrOthVG8kheflJzjiR0wXdXu3NyejMbm3HWPiJi4oVnRJnWmGT1ZfeGIo64WFZityGBcW4JgkqK0ko50q_Z0us3w1qP-pRwfOPYfun4NxdIHLQgXi5uIrbqTT5HW0tRg5haJcz9qclI2bTRT5R-kVlS3Y1ncz6EDyNcI_C3rEAqvuKQ7tldJtzl=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div>Tim also recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781959030324" target="_blank"><b>Wise Hours: A Journey into the Wild and Secret World of Owls</b></a> by Miriam Darlington and out in paperback today. Tim says: "When I really like a book, it's usually more about the writing and less about the topic or the themes. In Darlington’s case, the writing is both exciting and graceful, with a very personal touch, as she explains the mythology and symbolism attached to owls while celebrating their natural world. And I love the topic as well. I've been sharing the experience of seeing Great Horned Owls with a six-year-old child, as they nest in our neighborhood and hunt from our trees. His fascination exceeds even mine. Darlington’s fascination began when she and her son were suddenly face to face with a Great Grey Owl as it gripped its owner’s leather glove. That launched a need to write about owls, both wild and in remarkable domestic places. Then her son got very ill, but she decided to carry on and show us glimpses of her own inner world while writing about theirs. By setting out to find all the wild European owl species as she faced her greatest fear, she’s given us a loving tribute to the beauty and struggle of living, in owls and in the people dedicated to their well-being."</div><div><br /></div><div>And those are the recs of note for this week. We'll see you again soon right back in this digital spot with more great reads for you to read about. Until then, read on.</div></div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-30577596466368482552024-01-08T12:43:00.000-08:002024-01-08T12:43:45.475-08:00Staff Recommendations, Week of January 9, 2024<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">This week, the Boswellians bring you two new novels to hunker down with through the winter nights.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikMOwdsgq0KzGl_b4LxwUO_7tOALpU_Tq9Hga2kFRkYXJroYaN8aNkPuGY_JB40KmhaHeoFl8d5xtWIefzY5_EfFFjPsZuNX1-MX9ZfmlZ5gjywXAS5_lZfIpHgnxei4mqVlFHwDM8nSno01v27Ux6uxqVkRbgJwkzakEHT-SGXCPZmgOwVj7GiNroF_vv" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikMOwdsgq0KzGl_b4LxwUO_7tOALpU_Tq9Hga2kFRkYXJroYaN8aNkPuGY_JB40KmhaHeoFl8d5xtWIefzY5_EfFFjPsZuNX1-MX9ZfmlZ5gjywXAS5_lZfIpHgnxei4mqVlFHwDM8nSno01v27Ux6uxqVkRbgJwkzakEHT-SGXCPZmgOwVj7GiNroF_vv=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div>First, Daniel recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250296795" target="_blank"><b>You Only Call When You're in Trouble</b></a> by novelist Stephen McCauley. Daniel says: "Tom is a sixty-something architect whose personal and professional lives are on the ropes; he’s one lost commission and is one argument away from losing his job and his boyfriend. His sister Dorothy’s got an ill-conceived scheme to open a retreat center in Woodstock with a flash-in-the-pan personal growth guru. And his niece Cecily’s teaching gig and relationship are also in trouble, due to a Title IX scandal and the meddling mother of her boyfriend. So, what’s a family to do but gather together for the center’s grand opening? To my thinking, McCauley channels mid-20th Century English women writers, where love is longed for, but friendship is the true source of happiness, and adds a little (though in this case, not much) sexual energy. His latest, a mix of wry humor and emotional connection, poses the question: mistakes were made – now what?"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK8SzoLI8enhfoPcQW_IyE1QaCXNyxe46JHIxXR-r9MaJyzP9lnt_KuJum0djBLMXM3xs0gRW5U8oay9mC0BtzzvBDhOx-cGVG7a-69U_6WudlZ3CqASkdv-KIjeShC_h-3NryvmKZVe0dqMwtb4MwmK2-4bDRvwtgHS3oV8ESME4TKxPLpKXrZv_YEHBv" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK8SzoLI8enhfoPcQW_IyE1QaCXNyxe46JHIxXR-r9MaJyzP9lnt_KuJum0djBLMXM3xs0gRW5U8oay9mC0BtzzvBDhOx-cGVG7a-69U_6WudlZ3CqASkdv-KIjeShC_h-3NryvmKZVe0dqMwtb4MwmK2-4bDRvwtgHS3oV8ESME4TKxPLpKXrZv_YEHBv=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>And Gao suggests <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593713655" target="_blank"><b>The Fetishist</b></a> by Katherine Min. Gao writes: "It felt as though I was alongside Kathrine Min as she was writing. She felt real; like a childhood friend I once knew but lost ties with. Her voice permeates the book. A friend asked me if the book was 'fun,' and I don't think I would describe it as 'fun.' Rather, <i>The Fetishist </i>is comically cynical with its wit and blunt portrayal of its characters. The characters are the best part of the book. Each one is delightfully entertaining, and no matter what decisions they make, you cannot hate or judge them. You understand their flaws and egos, and as they grow, you as the reader also are forced into introspection. As an Asian American woman dating a white man, I related with Alma and Kyoko. With Alma, it was her self-awareness of how white men perceive Asian women, yet readily accepting that perception because there is some semblance of power that can be found. I empathized with Kyoko's rebellion and her passion for her mother. Her recklessness is her charm, and I found myself rooting for her. In every Asian American woman, I think there is both an Alma and a Kyoko living inside them (Kayla Min, Kathrine's daughter, talked a little about this too during the end notes)."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkybz3YJlwiUrkW0TkDTgxFl1sv1jM93hE87bL9mGOZsYqOPYiet97xvwl_L5cgN-zW5Z70PM-Hwx8sDVEHFBU8dkL8FoxhZ7x7R9NrXD-PTMJ2G07KEv_UTNlM7xdjPpMFDuhT7eBTeKVaRKDy6N4Q5SxylreMoCWg4QklRRnAdNGAy3oJ9d2jOsbKgPO" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkybz3YJlwiUrkW0TkDTgxFl1sv1jM93hE87bL9mGOZsYqOPYiet97xvwl_L5cgN-zW5Z70PM-Hwx8sDVEHFBU8dkL8FoxhZ7x7R9NrXD-PTMJ2G07KEv_UTNlM7xdjPpMFDuhT7eBTeKVaRKDy6N4Q5SxylreMoCWg4QklRRnAdNGAy3oJ9d2jOsbKgPO=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>And how about a paperback pick for the week, too? Okay! Oli Schmitz brings us <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780316540506" target="_blank"><b>How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures</b></a> by Sabrina Imbler. Oli writes: "<i>How Far the Light Reaches </i>is a brilliantly executed work of science writing and memoir that highlights the interconnectedness and complexity of ocean life and human experience. In each chapter, journalist Sabrina Imbler relates their own identities, relationships, and experiences to the world of a different fascinating sea creature, with tremendous vulnerability and stunning prose."</div><div><br /></div><div>And those are the recs. We'll see you next week with more books to keep you reading through the snow and cold. Until then, read on.</div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-82342970413794138062024-01-02T14:43:00.000-08:002024-01-02T14:43:52.776-08:00Staff Recommendations, Week of January 2, 2024<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">The staff rec blog is back, baby! A new year and a whole lotta new books on the way. We start it out with two recommendations this week - one for grown folks, one for kids.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiWBQ83jyI_XvlS_zSpXBt9dbo93lZH_0xb9NqNQURct383YqpiE_3qOUSXobZdI54KG8gu8HWLxQYE4XcMlOicESmNG4fnrxrFvDP36kBRfJ-wO1hZATTONLKAV-X9jKO_34Homv57n4wCYD7OeUMgfVWmw81lLcD2aNOMYuXbnvupRqWkNUSyaRAk9dM" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiWBQ83jyI_XvlS_zSpXBt9dbo93lZH_0xb9NqNQURct383YqpiE_3qOUSXobZdI54KG8gu8HWLxQYE4XcMlOicESmNG4fnrxrFvDP36kBRfJ-wO1hZATTONLKAV-X9jKO_34Homv57n4wCYD7OeUMgfVWmw81lLcD2aNOMYuXbnvupRqWkNUSyaRAk9dM=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>First, from Rachel Ross, a feminist take on Greek mythology, <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780063314672" target="_blank"><b>Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth</b></a> by Natalie Haynes. Rachel says: "<i>Divine Might</i> is an exploration of major female figures in Greek mythology and how they have been represented over time. This was such a thoughtful and fun entry from Haynes as she highlights not only the female Olympians, but also lesser goddesses, the Muses, and the Furies. I particularly liked how Haynes described different pieces of art that these figures have been featured in across the ages, as well as how she highlighted their influence on and representation in contemporary media. Haynes continually urges us to consider how the stories of these feminine figures were overwhelmingly recorded and recounted by men, and how that lens has shaped our perspective of them."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEia1PI9w3OmAAvuSDfQOVFvcs_C8kbTuqouni1XKI0BZBqj_bS9wUeVPQHQli0eE2YvWXhT6L56R78iG4j02U7MMceKwlN5IeQieyZuVGoZL8Yfpz53_Ue0cxzLTWwBOIcuw6U5vtxkpemoHTmTbCUHNKIaxOjbMba7_Ti0Sg4wm0S9eRv_P8-o-oheqywL" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="451" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEia1PI9w3OmAAvuSDfQOVFvcs_C8kbTuqouni1XKI0BZBqj_bS9wUeVPQHQli0eE2YvWXhT6L56R78iG4j02U7MMceKwlN5IeQieyZuVGoZL8Yfpz53_Ue0cxzLTWwBOIcuw6U5vtxkpemoHTmTbCUHNKIaxOjbMba7_Ti0Sg4wm0S9eRv_P8-o-oheqywL=w200-h177" width="200" /></a></div>And from Tim McCarthy, <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781665917544" target="_blank"><b>Like So</b></a>, a picture book by Ruth Forman, illustrated by Raissa Figueroa. Tim writes: "This beautiful, warm picture book shows the many ways love shines through the days shared by a little girl and her grandmother. The simple kisses, kitchen hugs, treks under expansive skies filled with butterflies, autumn paths, moonlit waves, and snow dusted constellations all reflect the joy of family and the natural world. Colorful illustrations by Raissa Figueroa express a sweet, energetic way of living just like so..."</div><div><br /></div><div>We'll be back next week with more staff recs for you. Until then, read on!</div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-58051636115460363532023-12-13T08:00:00.000-08:002023-12-13T11:30:51.607-08:00Top 5 Picks, 2023 - Part 5<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeHqw_92IpntL0WabYEia7bri-T99V1ffOVJtS_iMLm65qUEKZUTrxo_3ddFmuQ2EkImsPHJSQWY4uAVL8Cszw-vTwQMoE9gusMN5u68cIkssKysKLewcX4skuodTMKn7rOtayA8vhf4GZ0jVRNWk1UaBiHlmuw87M6aWYPI2ZJWWx0hM1WGcg4PnoiNo/s1000/Top%205%205.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeHqw_92IpntL0WabYEia7bri-T99V1ffOVJtS_iMLm65qUEKZUTrxo_3ddFmuQ2EkImsPHJSQWY4uAVL8Cszw-vTwQMoE9gusMN5u68cIkssKysKLewcX4skuodTMKn7rOtayA8vhf4GZ0jVRNWk1UaBiHlmuw87M6aWYPI2ZJWWx0hM1WGcg4PnoiNo/s320/Top%205%205.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>It's our last top 5 picks roundup post of the year! Our final four book pickers include some bonus picks from buyer Jason and proprietor Daniel, plus faves of the year from Oli and Ingrid. What a year of books it's been!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">First, Jason's faves - his top five and then some!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBqy5eEkbn9LFIVt3GGs0WQHRcRlgyV8GG7eVtR7gEH9AP9jHSBxbyGT-ygDr43Zph3DY8gjzEeksklCwrRPJK0a23sjxxJ1dJ7O8AMHLDMsB8HvAanI7vFYRXNWzEtk6IeComBiNCNLsZDHC7LJI1NQ9JfYJrk2NYkjXw65OOVZCYliXg7M4nBXU5V8D/s1786/Jason%209.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="1786" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBqy5eEkbn9LFIVt3GGs0WQHRcRlgyV8GG7eVtR7gEH9AP9jHSBxbyGT-ygDr43Zph3DY8gjzEeksklCwrRPJK0a23sjxxJ1dJ7O8AMHLDMsB8HvAanI7vFYRXNWzEtk6IeComBiNCNLsZDHC7LJI1NQ9JfYJrk2NYkjXw65OOVZCYliXg7M4nBXU5V8D/w400-h70/Jason%209.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781984881724" target="_blank"><b>A City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through?</b></a> by Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith. Jason says: "The Weinersmiths take a deep dive into the realm of space travel and colonization. They want to pump the breaks on the expectations of leaving a climate-ravaged Earth in hopes of a better future. We have forgotten to consider a couple of points that are necessary. One, space is not full of life, and it wants to kill us. Two, the human race still doesn't know enough to predict what will happen to prolonged living in space; that’s not even consider babies and future generations, though that's a serious issue to consider as well. There's the great emptiness and vacuum of space, solar radiation, inhospitable planets, plus the small living quarters that could lead you to annoying your fellow travelers. And, if that wasn't enough, even if we are able to conquer all the technological and health problems, then we will have to contend with laws and corporations fighting for control of land on these planets – and premium interplanetary land is scarce. This all seems like so much to complete in a short amount of time; it will probably take generations. This book is insightful and hilarious and will easily interest armchair science enthusiasts everywhere in the solar system."</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#2 T<a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780525659167" target="_blank"><b>he Earth Transformed: An Untold History</b></a> by Peter Frankopan. This revolutionary new history that reveals how climate change has dramatically shaped the development and demise of civilizations across time. Jill Lepore, writing for the <i>New Yorker</i>, says: "An essential epic that runs from the dawn of time to, oh, six o’clock yesterday."</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781982123109" target="_blank"><b>The Deluge</b></a> by Stephen Markley. We've done the hardcover link before, but this also recently came out in paperback, so this is the paperback link! Jason says: "I wish I could call this book a post-apocalyptic or dystopian novel, but unfortunately it’s all too real and grounded in the world we live in. We have climate change and disasters, political strife and corruption, economic disparities, and population displacements. Stephen Markley weaves together about 10 different characters living in the upheaval of America from 2004-2040. Everything we are experiencing now - the wealthy and politicians blocking environmental regulation and carbon impact and beyond - happens in this book. Markley, sadly, quite accurately imagines us handling these very real cataclysmic issues. I found it very true to the nature of humanity, as I believe in the best and the worst of most people, and Markley followed the logical path. Such a gripping and phenomenal read, I absolutely loved it!"</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"># 4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781668025680" target="_blank"><b>The Future</b></a> by Naomi Alderman. Jason writes: "Naomi Alderman writes a world of the near future on the brink of environmental cataclysm. Alderman ties together the good, the bad, and the ugly of social media platforms; the way they can manipulate and change the subconscious of the world at lightning speed is truly frightening. If the heads of those platforms don’t have the best intentions for the world in their ethos, then the world is truly doomed. Which is where this book takes place. At the beginning, three tech giants and their families are alerted that that a cataclysmic event is in the process of happening. They extract themselves and head to one of their bunkers to wait out the end of the world. Alderman then takes us back to show us all the behind-the-scenes action that happened before the lead up. It is a wild ride, and I wish that the outcome could happen to our world as well."</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780393285918" target="_blank"><b>Girlfriend on Mars</b></a> by Deborah Willis. Jason recommends this funny, poignant, and page-turning debut novel that skewers billionaire-funded space travel in a love story of interplanetary proportions. <i>People</i> magazine calls it: "A sharp, funny take on capitalism, climate change, and our lifelong mission to be loved."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"># 6 (aka bonus pick #1) <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780374603335" target="_blank"><b>Gone to the Wolves</b></a> by John Wray. Pulitzer-winning author Andrew Sean Greer calls it: "A hair-raising, head-banging, meet-the-Devil epic tale of love, youth, and rock ’n’ roll." Wray dives deep into the wild, funhouse world of heavy metal and death cults in the 1980s and 1990s to lay bare the intensity, tumult, and thrill of friendship in adolescence—a time when music can often feel like life or death.</div><div><br /></div><div>#7 (aka... you get the idea) <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593654477" target="_blank"><b>The MANIAC</b></a> by Benjamin Labatut. Jason says: "Labatut’s <i>The Maniac </i>offers up an in depth exploration of the causes and effects of math and science’s transition from theory to practical applications (ie, the nuclear bomb) and the influence of individual madness. Labatut tells the story of Jon von Neumann, from his beginnings to his immigration to the US as he fled Nazism to the Manhattan project to his ultimate death. He also follows a British boy-genius, bored with being a chess master, who, upon reading von Neuman's thesis, goes on to help create Deepmind and the beginnings of AI. Benjamin Labatut explains the complex evolution of AI through the 20th Century, from exceptional math breakthroughs to mayhem, and he makes it compulsively readable to boot!"</div><div><br /></div><div>#8 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781953534873" target="_blank"><b>The Memory of Animals</b></a> by Claire Fuller. Jason writes: "Fuller gave me PTSD at the very outset of this book as Neffy went into a vaccine trial to combat a pandemic. When virus mutates rapidly (cue more PTSD), and Neffy wakes up from fighting off the virus with the experimental vaccine, the world is gone. But there are other people trapped with her in the medical building, and this is the heart of the story: how they relate to and end up relying on one and other. It's a novel about the human condition during a crisis, but Claire Fuller also looks at the trip Neffy took to get to this point. The future is a frightening place, but we can't live in the past."</div><div><br /></div><div>#9 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781982169695" target="_blank"><b>Rouge</b></a> by Mona Award. Jason says: "At the heart of this cerebral, hallucinogenic, and haunting new novel lies a relationship story of Mother and Daughter. And beauty and beauty products. Belle comes home to bury her mother, who accidentally fell into the ocean. It all begins innocently enough, but when Belle begins to pack up her mother's things, her mother's pair of red heels seem to guide her to an opulent, strange spa called Rouge. Trust in Mona Awad to take you on a bizarre, fairy-tale story that has seriously horrible things to say about the beauty industry. It’s also a wonderful story about miscommunications and missed moments between parent and child. <i>Rouge </i>never let me go - this is Mona Awad's best yet!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Why 9 and not ten? I don't know! It's the list he gave me. On to the next recommender.</div><div><br /></div><div>And that would be Oli Schmitz, who raves about the following five.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLO63jv6FFCtLjrYj4SIx8oEii7B8uMY4arNNPgiMAqsbPzv-t549vvIYo_W_sO9SST_ohJjyzOSGqI9LxLitSmQke8VoAEsc1ORIX57X2U_CoBEG9ahk_JE3-OH0luVspTnbDIVgr2isuMDL0xlq-LUskYpUHjUxIDrHEDxSW01Op2W6KAKt4mVH7T1K/s988/ol5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="988" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLO63jv6FFCtLjrYj4SIx8oEii7B8uMY4arNNPgiMAqsbPzv-t549vvIYo_W_sO9SST_ohJjyzOSGqI9LxLitSmQke8VoAEsc1ORIX57X2U_CoBEG9ahk_JE3-OH0luVspTnbDIVgr2isuMDL0xlq-LUskYpUHjUxIDrHEDxSW01Op2W6KAKt4mVH7T1K/w400-h129/ol5.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781635577921" target="_blank"><b>A Day of Fallen Night (The Roots of Chaos)</b></a> by Samantha Shannon. Oli says: "Samantha Shannon delivers the best of epic fantasy once again, in a standalone novel worth all eight hundred and eighty pages. I was hooked on this glorious, sprawling tale from the start. The lives of four main characters - one each from the North, South, East, and West - are about to change: a long-slumbering evil wakes, bringing fire, plague, and a draconic army raised against humanity. Set 500 years after The Nameless One rose from a mountain of fire and was vanquished, and 500 years before the events of <i>The Priory of the Orange Tree</i>, <i>A Day of Fallen Night</i> is rich in history, legend, and depth to both the world and its characters. I'm obsessed, and you should be, too!"</div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593438244" target="_blank"><b>The Weaver and the Witch Queen</b></a> by Genevieve Gornichec. Oli's rec: "Powerful bonds of sworn sisterhood are tested in this immersive journey through tenth-century Norway. In childhood, sisters Oddny and Signy take a blood oath with their friend Gunnhild, swearing to always help each other. After years apart, Gunnhild reunites with Oddny to search for a kidnapped Signy. This is a story of love and power: from chosen family to tender care and enemies-to-lovers slow burn romance; from political intrigue and tough choices to resilience and self-determination. The landscape of this pivotal era in Norse history is infused with magic and folklore, brought to life in Gornichec's enchanting voice. Complex characters and a captivating plot make this one of my favorite books of 2023. <i>The Weaver and the Witch Queen</i> is an excellent fit for readers who loved <i>Circe </i>and historical fiction that humanizes figures of myth, spinning new meaning from their stories."</div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780316540537" target="_blank"><b>How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures</b></a> by Sabrina Imbler. And of this, Oli relays the following: "<i>How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures</i> is a brilliantly executed work of science writing and memoir that highlights the interconnectedness and complexity of ocean life and human experience. In each chapter, journalist Sabrina Imbler relates their own identities, relationships, and experiences to the world of a different fascinating sea creature, with tremendous vulnerability and stunning prose."</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780316542753" target="_blank"><b>The Unbroken (Magic of the Lost #1)</b></a> by CL Clark. Oli writes: "A gripping, layered fantasy with worldbuilding inspired by history, The Unbroken is a postcolonial reckoning with power and belonging, set against resistance to empire and its backlash. Touraine struggles with loyalty between the empire who raised her as its soldier, the motherland she was stolen from as a child, and the princess she's spying for; Luca works to uphold the throne's rule in the face of rebellion while searching for the divine magic her own empire has forbidden. The future of nations will be shaped by the actions - and mistakes - of these two complicated women. CL Clark delivers an emotionally resonant debut, imbued with commentary on the deep impact of colonialism, in this first installment of the <i>Magic of the Lost </i>trilogy."</div><div><br /></div><div>#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250886101" target="_blank"><b>Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes)</b></a> by Travis Baldree. Oli declares: "Sidelined by a battle injury, stalwart orc Viv is forced to recuperate in a tiny seaside town. There she meets a mousey bookstore owner, spitfire gnome, dwarven baker, and a literal bag of (reanimated) bones. Baldree’s return to his realm of cozy fantasy is a quiet triumph, conveying beauty in the mundane, the joy of sharing a book together, and the sweet melancholy of how some people who only briefly pass through our lives can nevertheless be carried in our hearts for a lifetime."</div><div><br /></div><div>Now onto Ingrid Muellmans and her fave four of 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5cXHLqlndV0x-VY2LPPojMy_gqX5H42u_KT3pRiIiR4oDMmNLI1OACjH2VA8OQwxvJC6dAwQYYjbThGyrdcGFsPkY6TPU9rFkjv4WqwFSlsvVDqlMZZrpOXsYKNZbD0LcL2oGvX3HP7bVYPS3-PTLN9lSgOGy3slvX_zmcOsJol5RZiQXDHUxMi84zfw/s789/in5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="789" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5cXHLqlndV0x-VY2LPPojMy_gqX5H42u_KT3pRiIiR4oDMmNLI1OACjH2VA8OQwxvJC6dAwQYYjbThGyrdcGFsPkY6TPU9rFkjv4WqwFSlsvVDqlMZZrpOXsYKNZbD0LcL2oGvX3HP7bVYPS3-PTLN9lSgOGy3slvX_zmcOsJol5RZiQXDHUxMi84zfw/w400-h163/in5.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780063250833" target="_blank"><b>Yellowface</b></a> by RF Kuang. The one and only Stephen King calls it: "Hard to put down, harder to forget." Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena’s a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks. So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I. With its totally immersive first-person voice, <i>Yellowface </i>grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media. R.F. Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable. </div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593441275" target="_blank"><b>Happy Place</b></a> by Emily Henry. In this romcom, a couple who broke up months ago pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends. It's a glittering and wise new novel from #1 <i>New York Times </i>bestselling author Emily Henry. From the <i>Washington Post</i>: "Wit, charm and heart, satisfying to the last page."</div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593490693" target="_blank"><b>Pineapple Street</b></a> by Jenny Jackson. A a smart, escapist novel that sparkles with wit. Full of recognizable, loveable, if fallible, characters, it’s about the peculiar unknowability of someone else’s family, the miles between the haves and have-nots, and the insanity of first love, all wrapped in a story that is a sheer delight. From the <i>New York Times </i>(and clearly written at the beginning of summer): "The season’s first beach read, a delicious romp of a debut featuring family crises galore."</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593312148" target="_blank"><b>Nightbitch</b></a> by Rachel Yoder. In this blazingly smart and voracious debut novel, an artist turned stay-at-home mom becomes convinced she's turning into a dog. From the <i>New Yorker</i>: "Yoder sees a new way into the baser kinks of our animal selves, the ineffable bodily transformation of a woman into a mother. What is fiction for, if not blowing life up into the freakish myth it appears to be?”</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And finally, our proprietor Daniel Goldin's top ten books of the year. Sometimes we do this as its own post, sometimes his picks get tossed in the mix with everyone else's. And this year, it would have screwed up my whole "the number 5" theme to do a sixth post, so there you have it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoYG4lgPT1xOgv5KEXDf0Sa2Pqp12z-iedUH7Zw4He0sEY6iEzeSH68rtS4QEhEBAmTMwyclCsmSKLs7kY3DOWH6ihncVI3sfp9nIgNdUKUmW6bkvzGTxl45I786DYJ6PEK-P_0yFInPA4Xkuk81v95Yo7bqKoUUwrGLln28rffc935eHJ4BGdWZuaYRT/s985/DG10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="985" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoYG4lgPT1xOgv5KEXDf0Sa2Pqp12z-iedUH7Zw4He0sEY6iEzeSH68rtS4QEhEBAmTMwyclCsmSKLs7kY3DOWH6ihncVI3sfp9nIgNdUKUmW6bkvzGTxl45I786DYJ6PEK-P_0yFInPA4Xkuk81v95Yo7bqKoUUwrGLln28rffc935eHJ4BGdWZuaYRT/w400-h276/DG10.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781982104498" target="_blank"><b>Let Us Descend</b></a> by Jesmyn Ward. Daniel says: "It’s hard to put into words how I felt while reading Jesmyn Ward’s fourth novel. The outer life of Annis, an enslaved teenage woman, is one of constant struggle. Starting at the plantation where her White father separates her first from her mother and then her closest ally, she is marched from the Carolinas to New Orleans, where she is put up for sale at a slave market, only to land at an equally dire sugar plantation in Louisiana. Along the way, she communicates with Aza, a spirit who has taken the name of Annis’s warrior grandmother. <i>Let Us Descend </i>might be more of a historical than its predecessors, but it shares the exquisite poetic language, a setting that is alternatingly bleak and ethereal, and memorable characters, centered by the unforgettable Annis."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593536117" target="_blank"><b>Wellness</b></a> by Nathan Hill. Daniel writes: "Jack Baker and Elizabeth Augustine are two people who meet in college in 1990s Wicker Park and fall in love. Thirty years later they are hoping to move with their son to a condo in a wealthy Chicago suburb. That’s a good story in and of itself. But Hill’s second novel, following The Nix, is also about parenting, religion, sex, real estate, Minecraft, placebos, art, controlled Prairie burns, bats, psychology, cleanses, coyotes, conspiracies, and class. Wellness asks the question: do our stories reflect our reality, or do they create said reality? And with all that to cover, 600 pages actually seems a little too short. I loved this novel."</div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781959030294" target="_blank"><b>Dearborn</b></a> by Ghassan Zeineddine. Daniel proclaims: "An out-of-work night watchman teams up with a former drug addict to sell recordings of the Qu’ran in English. A family saves their cash stuffed in frozen chickens hoping to use the money to buy a place in the old country. Or how about a change-of-pace Titanic story in which an 86-year-old woman recalls how she (but not her husband) survived the crash while immigrating to America. Ghassan Zeineddine’s debut collection centers on the Lebanese Muslim community in the Detroit suburb with all their dreams, fears, and quirks, but his observations about human nature, family, love, and community are universal, too. With so many memorable characters and so much wit and heart, this had to be my favorite story collection of the year." </div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250831910" target="_blank"><b>All the Sinners Bleed</b></a> by SA Cosby. Daniel distills it: "For once, Cosby’s hero is neither a current nor reformed outlaw, but a sheriff. Not just a sheriff, but the first Black sheriff of Charon County, an area where the troubled past is still simmering. Concerned that his biggest problem is a march by Christian Nationalists, Sheriff Titus Crown is blindsided by a school shooting, where the victim is a beloved teacher, and in addition, the shooter, killed by a trigger-fingered officer. This does nothing to ingratiate Crown with the formerly supportive Black community, led by an activist minister. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg; before this story is fully told, there will be plenty of secrets revealed and, as promised in the title, shed blood. Edge of your seat thrills, masterful storytelling, and what a voice – another winner from SA Cosby!"</div><div><br /></div><div>#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250793775" target="_blank"><b>While You Were Out: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence</b></a> by Meg Kissinger. Daniel dishes: "In this engrossing memoir, long-time journalist Kissinger chronicles life in an old-school Catholic family in the Chicago and Milwaukee suburbs. Kissinger grew up with seven siblings, about four or five more than her mom could handle. With both parents self-medicating, it’s no wonder mental illness manifested in many of the next generation, to sometimes heartbreaking effect. If you loved<i> Hidden Valley Road</i> but wondered what it would have been like to hear the story from one of the children, <i>While You Were Out</i> is the book for you."</div><div><br /></div><div>#6 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781668011836"><b>The Secret Book of Flora Lea</b></a> by Patti Callahan Henry. Daniel explains it this way: "On her last day working at an antiquarian bookstore, before moving on to a more prestigious job, Hazel receives an autographed children’s book that has become a hot commodity in the States, along with some original illustrations. Intrigued, she soon realizes that this novel is based on the stories she used to tell her younger sister Flora when they were sent away to the country during the London Blitz. How could this be? Her sister drowned and Hazel never told these stories to anyone else. The novel jumps from ‘present-day’ 1960 back to the 1940s, when the mystery unfolded. All the elements come together - World War II fiction, an amateur detective story, a bookish historical – for an entertaining, thoughtful, and heart-warming read. Now wonder it has become an indie bookstore phenomenon."</div><div><br /></div><div>#7 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780316265850" target="_blank"><b>Good Night, Irene</b></a> by Luis Alberto Urrea. Daniel notes: "Irene Woodward and Dorothy Dunford bond in training when both join the Red Cross to support the troops by running a coffee wagon. They are supposed to work in teams of three, but they just can’t seem to keep a third – maybe it’s because their friendship is so strong that there just isn’t room for one more in the truck. Outside the truck, their lives are filled with vibrant characters, some romance, and of course, the horrors of war. Urrea’s new novel is classic historical fiction, a change of style, but it shouldn’t be a surprise to fans – his prose has veered from journalism to magical realism to domestic dramedy. And I don’t really want to give anything away here, but I kept thinking it will all be worthwhile if Urrea stuck the landing, and I’m happy to say he sure did!"</div><div><br /></div><div>#8 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780735225268" target="_blank"><b>A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them</b></a> by Timothy Egan. Daniel comments: "National Book Award and Pulitzer winner (the latter for his newspaper work) Timothy Egan takes on the second (and probably not last) coming of the Klu Klux Klan in America. In the 1920s, a combination of factors, including the migration of Confederate sympathizers and a White population scared by new waves of immigration, emboldened by the success of Prohibition, led to a resurgence of this organization that was most profound not in the South, but in the Midwest and West. Egan focuses on Indiana, a state that had perhaps the most KKK domination (though one should not exclude Ohio, Colorado, and Oregon, which have their own stories) and in particular, on D.C. Stephenson, who wound up having much of Indiana under his control. A ruthless criminal, a sexual predator, and a charlatan, Steve, as he was known, was seemingly unstoppable, until maybe he wasn’t. Egan’s meticulous research and lively storytelling combine for a powerful work with obvious contemporary parallels. I’m definitely going to be reading more Egan!"</div><div><br /></div><div>#9 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781982196349" target="_blank"><b>Owner of a Lonely Heart: A Memoir</b></a> by Beth Nguyen. Daniel asserts: "What’s the nonfiction equivalent of a novel in stories? Why, it’s a memoir in essays! I am actually a big fan of this format, with all the detours that the structure allows, often preferring it to the straightforward memoir itself. Beth Nguyen’s <i>Owner of a Lonely Heart </i>is a great example of the genre, swirling around the mother-daughter relationship between two refugees in America, separated by distance, misunderstanding, and time. It’s only when Nguyen has her own children that she can truly revisit the relationship to make sense of this complicated relationship. This is a special memoir to be treasured."</div><div><div><br /></div></div><div>#10 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780063327528" target="_blank"><b>Tom Lake</b></a> by Ann Patchett. Daniel states: "For every Jane Fonda or Rita Moreno, famous actresses into their eighties, there is a Kim Novak, who married an equine veterinarian and lived a quiet life in the countryside. Imagine if you had an acting career and then didn’t, but someone you know (the acclaimed Peter Duke) went on to a glorious career. Your family knows the story, but they don’t exactly have it quite right. More than that, each of your children has created their own mythology of the story. With the world locked down, Lara and Joe and their daughters Emily, Maisie, and Nell, are brought together to the family farm to unpack that story, set at a season of summer stock at Tom Lake, Michigan. I love how Lara’s career jump starts with a small production of <i>Our Town</i>, and that Thornton Wilder resonates through the rest of the story. And I love the way Patchett can write about the complications of families, even loving ones like the Nelsons. The story may be quiet, but it will stick with me for a long time."</div><div><br /></div><div>Wow, that's a lotta great books! Hope you've found a few that you love for yourself and your giftees this year. And here's to another year ahead full of great reads! Until we reach it, read on.</div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-6489087364239971432023-12-12T13:10:00.000-08:002023-12-12T13:10:26.895-08:00Staff Recommendation, Week of December 12, 2023<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGFcLKJpvAi-uRF0vmYuuMm0Ua--sYWjIEHsoIZuqHXkp4-cukyatETeoj5sAeun8Mv56DT6cGM1r4nk1DnDluy7NeBWF1l66e1KmZFhyMbO6RRBM1zBbqxyoL3hGNcGzoUsiPnMyD5xUlNy5-w8j1IKUzMY_FFtnpZhTAsasfnZZRTQUgNMihveOZJ-O4" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGFcLKJpvAi-uRF0vmYuuMm0Ua--sYWjIEHsoIZuqHXkp4-cukyatETeoj5sAeun8Mv56DT6cGM1r4nk1DnDluy7NeBWF1l66e1KmZFhyMbO6RRBM1zBbqxyoL3hGNcGzoUsiPnMyD5xUlNy5-w8j1IKUzMY_FFtnpZhTAsasfnZZRTQUgNMihveOZJ-O4=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Just one staff rec this week for a new release, from Tim McCarthy. He recommends the second Monster Hunter Mystery from Wisconsin author Annelise Ryan: <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593441602" target="_blank"><b>Death in the Dark Woods</b></a>. Tim says: "Morgan Carter is back! She's the Door County owner of Odds and Ends, a shop that sells very odd artifacts from around the world along with mystery books in which people always meet their end. She’s also a cryptozoologist with multiple college degrees who loves searching for legendary creatures while insisting that proof is necessary before she’ll believe they exist. Last time, she and her very cool dog Newt helped a local sheriff figure out why two dead men had strange bite marks suggesting the possibility of a Nessie-like creature in the waters of Wisconsin. Now law enforcement needs her again, in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, across the Green Bay, where a hunter and a fisherman were viciously killed, apparently by something huge and furry that moved upright on two feet. Could it possibly be? You’ll find out, and for me there’s nothing better than a cozy but deadly autumn adventure set in places where I’ve loved to vacation and then drove away again, fully alive. I’d just say watch your back up north on that next lovely leaf season hike."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And that, dear readers, is the last new book rec I currently have on file for 2023! Rest assured, if any last minute book alerts come from the Boswellians for new books coming in the next couple of weeks, I will dutifully post them in this space. And there's one more top 5 roundup blog coming this way soon, too! Until there are more recs (and there will surely be more staff recs), read on!</div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-23721406058948681412023-12-08T08:00:00.000-08:002023-12-08T08:00:00.127-08:00Top 5 Picks, 2023 - Part 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOz7XGR9E95xOkQum7kic5spK6DQqlq11EqADcCH_hIzgUPZOhWmOihZwXqgMkoPzfTo6sDDKF5JlyEF9f3CRPc3-fozJQiWOedwe7C7vIm6_JAhR5K-ne1UErpdqAMIGg1BjdZCof0pJhWp-9AMC6f0dx-J6zv19L5q-SzfMo2WWesjeB7LIC4OrsjwtJ/s950/Top%205%204.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="950" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOz7XGR9E95xOkQum7kic5spK6DQqlq11EqADcCH_hIzgUPZOhWmOihZwXqgMkoPzfTo6sDDKF5JlyEF9f3CRPc3-fozJQiWOedwe7C7vIm6_JAhR5K-ne1UErpdqAMIGg1BjdZCof0pJhWp-9AMC6f0dx-J6zv19L5q-SzfMo2WWesjeB7LIC4OrsjwtJ/w228-h152/Top%205%204.png" width="228" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Day four of the Top 5 roundups means many more great books for both reading and gifting. Let's dive right in.<div><br /></div><div>First up, it's me, Chris Lee. Here are my most favorite faves of 2023. And since I'm writing this, I'll include some updated notes on each book as well as my original write-ups, because why the heck not, right?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZ2oICFLxMOtAiOm522TtiwRdDDK9ogkn2gpCaH-qgIvrnHTs6zswexsaXWwoFvNnOd9vKDnyiaiOJJsV1NXLSAX4rVD-8QYHoxqg8o3SzNmgUP0nwBASS68Et5kYvpSlVdqFHiPEfgNiXf7GLMlCOOlIGWtM-twb2EUC0THhzBiFdeJ6S1xhRe4pGpiA/s996/Chris5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="996" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZ2oICFLxMOtAiOm522TtiwRdDDK9ogkn2gpCaH-qgIvrnHTs6zswexsaXWwoFvNnOd9vKDnyiaiOJJsV1NXLSAX4rVD-8QYHoxqg8o3SzNmgUP0nwBASS68Et5kYvpSlVdqFHiPEfgNiXf7GLMlCOOlIGWtM-twb2EUC0THhzBiFdeJ6S1xhRe4pGpiA/w400-h126/Chris5.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593332337" target="_blank"><b>The Late Americans</b></a> by Brandon Taylor. This book remains one of the most emotionally complex things I've read this year, and thought Taylor clearly would like his writing to be perceived as a bit timeless (and let's me honest, who wouldn't like that?!), this is sneakily one of the most of-the-moment books I've read in a while. My original write up: Brandon Taylor’s novel invites us into the world of Iowa City’s fledgling writers, dancers, and artists as they squabble, scrap, hope, love, and fight their way toward self-knowledge in a country that doesn’t have much more to offer them than, at best, indifference and economic insecurity. Art and sex, full hearts and empty wallets. A perfectly titled novel (each character so late to so many different parties) that deeply understands the roiling emotional landscape of lives of ideas as they’re lived in precarity. Truly impressive.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780374298494" target="_blank"><b>The Dimensions of a Cave</b></a> by Greg Jackson. This one has been a bit slow to move off the shelves, and I fear one of the reasons for that is readers who see it get an impression that's something like, 'oh, that's one of those dense and intellectual books that's going to be a super-heavy slog.' And, yes, it is dense and intellectual, BUT it's also a quite approachable book with writing that bops right along. It's the kind of immersive book that you just sink into and spend days completely absorbed. My original write up: Incredible, incredible, incredible! Jackson's tale of a journalist's odyssey into virtual reality, the forever war, and governmental lies returns you brilliantly to an age-old question: How do we perceive our own existence? (That old chestnut!)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781668020791" target="_blank"><b>The Hive and the Honey</b></a> by Paul Yoon - I've read a bunch of short story collections over the past year, and only one other even comes close. Man, this book is SO good. Original write up: Paul Yoon’s gorgeous, satisfying new story collection offers peeks into the lives of those among the Korean diaspora across centuries and the globe. In remarkably precise prose, Yoon carves out the essence of his characters’ lives. An ex-con in upstate New York, an abandoned boy in Russia’s Far East, a shopkeeping couple in London’s Koreatown, and a 17th century samurai – in each of them and others, Yoon captures the yearning for an unnamable something that exists in between the history they carry with them and the worlds they’ve left behind. Wonderful.</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781982123093"><b>The Deluge</b></a> by Stephen Markley. This book is written like a (rising) ocean, wave after wave of moments and years and ideas crashing one after the other, relentlessly eroding the shores. An epic peopled with characters as real as any person you know, who’ll fill you up with hope and heartbreak. A feast of a book.</div><div><br /></div><div>#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593701423" target="_blank"><b>Mister Mister</b></a> by Guy Gunaratne. This is another one I'm struggling to find readers for, which is a shame. Beyond just being really well written, it's a truly emotional journey. If you've ever wondered how a normal, not-nuts, even big-hearted and good person can get wrapped up in religious zealotry and political violence, well, this is the perfect book. Original write up: Rotting away in an immigration detention center, Yahya Bas cuts out his own tongue – never again will he be misheard, misconstrued – and sets pen to paper to write his own story so it might finally be understood by his captors, by his god, and, ultimately, by himself. In a very loose riff on <i>David Copperfield</i>, Gunaratne follows Yahya from his childhood of poverty and abandonment in East London to his years as a poet capable of inciting violence, a fatherless jihadist, an exile, and a political prisoner. Yahya becomes a cipher for the world's broken logic at the onset of the West's forever war. The writing is vivid, visceral, and bracing; totally unputdownable. Yet at the same time, the book is tender and deeply humane. Gunaratne understands that violence, at its core, is never really political. His willingness to follow that understanding to very uncomfortable places makes this book so necessary. And so, Yahya tells his own story – one that’s not about finding his voice but rather about cutting out all the voices of others that have come to inhabit (to invade, colonize, and occupy) his mouth.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next is Amie, with her top 4 for the year.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVDAxCzzzTVI53BSLVq8RBE3qMMXIBlPpieVGhJHh6e3N2snDQ2vRPAjk8qsJDQShjqMxExW9sLG_3X-zbID_OTovr24DnhqdCuovRgpn9cBq-uNUsjTmtQFXKkMjN0-gy1CzEwnBKszCMzR8FWr0mXkRf_U_5npRUoFOx5l3eM53KF3He9xpkfygDNRA/s798/Amie4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="798" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVDAxCzzzTVI53BSLVq8RBE3qMMXIBlPpieVGhJHh6e3N2snDQ2vRPAjk8qsJDQShjqMxExW9sLG_3X-zbID_OTovr24DnhqdCuovRgpn9cBq-uNUsjTmtQFXKkMjN0-gy1CzEwnBKszCMzR8FWr0mXkRf_U_5npRUoFOx5l3eM53KF3He9xpkfygDNRA/w400-h154/Amie4.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593536322" target="_blank"><b>Roman Stories</b></a> by Jhumpa Lahiri. The first short story collection by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author and master of the form since her best seller <i>Unaccustomed Earth. </i> Rome—metropolis and monument, suspended between past and future, multi-faceted and metaphysical—is the protagonist, not the setting, of these nine stories. From the <i>New York Times</i>: "Electric . . . Elegant . . . The fluid transitions between Lahiri’s and Portnowitz’s translations elevate <i>Roman Stories </i>from a grouping of individual tales to a deeply moving whole."</div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780385549073" target="_blank"><b>Old Babes in the Wood</b></a> by Margaret Atwood. Truly it was a year of short stories for Amie. This is a dazzling collection that looks deeply into the heart of family relationships, marriage, loss and memory, and what it means to spend a life together. From Rebecca Makkai: ""If you consider yourself an Atwood fan and have only read her novels: Get your act together. You’ve been missing out."</div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593449950" target="_blank"><b>White Cate, Black Dog</b></a> by Kelly Link. More stories? More stories! <i>TIME</i> says: "The Brothers Grimm meet<i> Black Mirror</i> meets <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>. . . . In seven remixed fairy tales, Link delivers wit and dreamlike intrigue." Finding seeds of inspiration in places such as seventeenth-century French lore and Scottish ballads, Kelly Link spins classic fairy tales into utterly original stories of seekers—characters on the hunt for love, connection, revenge, or their own sense of purpose.</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781338180633" target="_blank"><b>Big Tree</b></a> by Brian Selznick. The fate of all life on Earth may depend on the bravery of two little seeds in this epic adventure from the Caldecott Medalist. Tim and Jen love this one, too! Here's a neat quote. Steven Spielberg says: "The tale of the natural world is the greatest story we have to tell, and Brian delivers a brilliant chapter of that tale throughout the pages of <i>Big Tree</i>."</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Rachel Ross is our next Top 5 selector for this blog installment. Here are her faves.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWakVTwbWoGaFi4zBT2VLLVivlvWOB9i3feBdjE21nGWD_ewLo-fcoYW4QmPyypRDW9BjbBtyHAwcvFdxJok6Yeqf0WTj9z1whh_U-hKWFp3f-4FIUXtJPL6YjVRTci7SJ-k2eX0BZCdoy4-PttXZYaHfP40bI4hLf0NN6lVHz5CunriqMsTn9G0HVR9wr/s986/Rachel5Ross.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="986" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWakVTwbWoGaFi4zBT2VLLVivlvWOB9i3feBdjE21nGWD_ewLo-fcoYW4QmPyypRDW9BjbBtyHAwcvFdxJok6Yeqf0WTj9z1whh_U-hKWFp3f-4FIUXtJPL6YjVRTci7SJ-k2eX0BZCdoy4-PttXZYaHfP40bI4hLf0NN6lVHz5CunriqMsTn9G0HVR9wr/w400-h127/Rachel5Ross.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250826794" target="_blank"><b>Witch King</b></a> by Martha Wells. This is the second time this book as appeared in a top 5 list this year. And we'll see one more before we're done with today. In case you missed it in the last blog, here's a quick summary - this is Martha Wells’s first new fantasy in over a decade, drawing together her signature ability to create characters we adore and identify with, alongside breathtaking action and adventure, and the wit and charm we’ve come to expect from one of the leading writers of her generation.</div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781984881137" target="_blank"><b>Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World</b></a> by Henry Grabar. Daniel dug this one, too! Rachel says: "P<i>aved Paradise</i> is filled to the brim with engaging stories and intelligent insights into how parking impacts architecture, transit, community, and the climate. Grabar recounts how designing our lives around housing cars has molded American civic life over the last century. This book altered my perception of all things 'Parkitecture.'" </div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780063348271" target="_blank"><b>Godkiller</b></a> by Hannah Kaner. Here's a summary from the publisher: Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Formed by human desires and fed by their worship, there are countless gods in the world—but after a great war, the new king outlawed them and now pays “godkillers” to destroy any who try to rise from the shadows. And Joe Hill says: "Beautifully imagined and intensely felt . . . Godkiller is a bone-rattling fantasy thriller that flies by in a breathtaking rush."</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250847744" target="_blank"><b>Raw Dog</b></a> by Jamie Loftus. The second repeat - Rachel is obviously a book influencer! Of this, she says: "Join Jamie Loftus as she rockets around the continental United States on a mission to sample as many hot dogs as possible during the tumultuous summer of 2021. A mashup of travelogue and history lesson, Loftus expounds on the humble origins of the hot dog, the Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest, and the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile as she consumes dogs at independent joints from coast to coast. I was delighted! And disgusted!"</div><div><br /></div><div>#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781984881076" target="_blank"><b>Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club</b></a> by J Ryan Stradal. Rachel writes: "Settle in for an ode to the Midwest that is equal parts heart-wrenching and heartwarming. Join three generations of women as they navigate their relationships with their families and communities against the backdrop of the Lakeside Supper Club, which is so much more than a family restaurant. Stradal tackles family legacy, Midwestern culture, the depths of grief, and the relief of forgiveness. You’ll want to grab a brandy old-fashioned for this one."</div><div><br /></div><div>Our last top-fiver of the day is Jen! Our kids buyer has lots of great picks each year, so consider these her greatest-of-the-great.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYtLPXmSYknjZs8ipSuZEJqXUGQgG8TVmbtzfFsGM3gQ6B7GGKKt-h9VKRmiKlh4vC6HLW63H0vZCCCZluKH49-ZQoPkcvVSMhaSc37encrUpuDrZW-JH86uYQbINx4oR6KhmHSrg7Fk2nrqeDtVhv_85Q4MhXN-akFKERx_JTPdLuiQRLLo8tU0F3oYD/s998/Jen%205.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="998" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYtLPXmSYknjZs8ipSuZEJqXUGQgG8TVmbtzfFsGM3gQ6B7GGKKt-h9VKRmiKlh4vC6HLW63H0vZCCCZluKH49-ZQoPkcvVSMhaSc37encrUpuDrZW-JH86uYQbINx4oR6KhmHSrg7Fk2nrqeDtVhv_85Q4MhXN-akFKERx_JTPdLuiQRLLo8tU0F3oYD/w400-h125/Jen%205.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593436721" target="_blank"><b>Vampires of El Norte</b></a> by Isabel Cañas. Jen says: "I loved this book! Isabel Cañas writes with such historical detail that it feels like you are right there with Nena and Néstor. Set in 1840s Mexico, Vampires of El Norte is powerful historical fiction with a supernatural twist! It’s a world of vaqueros and vampires, hacendados and healers, war and lost love. Put this novel at the top of your summer reading list."</div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780062963505" target="_blank"><b>The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi: A new fantasy series set a thousand years before The City of Brass</b></a> by Shannon Chakraborty. And here is Jen's write up: "Get ready for a most wonderous adventure on the Indian Ocean with the best Pirate Queen of the 12th century! Our heroine, the infamous Amina Al-Sirafi has been forced out of retirement to save the daughter of a fallen crew member. Will Amina Al-Sirafi be able to convince her former crew to board for one more adventure? Filled with magic and adventure, myth and humor, I loved every moment of this book!"</div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781646141777" target="_blank"><b>The Prince & the Coyote</b></a> by David Bowles, with illustrations by Amanda Mijangos. Jen writes: "You usually hear about books that are crossovers for YA – well, I think this book should be considered a crossover for adults! A stunning, historical epic set in pre-Columbian Mexico based on the life of Nezahualcoyotl. Not only are there beautiful illustrations from Amanda Mijangos, but David Bowles incorporates Nezahualcoyotl's surviving poetry into the novel as well. <i>The Prince & the Coyote</i> is a rich and layered story about one of the Americas’ greatest heroes. I was mesmerized from beginning to end!"</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781665928502" target="_blank"><b>Once There Was</b></a> by Kiyash Monsef. This one is a bit like <i>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them</i> meets Neil Gaiman. <i>Kirkus Reviews </i>calls it "A striking and heartfelt debut." An Iranian American girl discovers that her father was secretly a veterinarian to magical creatures—and now she must take up his mantle, despite the many dangers. </div><div><br /></div><div>#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781665902373" target="_blank"><b>Forget Me Not</b></a> by Alyson Derrick. Great for fans of <i>Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</i> and <i>Five Feet Apart</i>, this tender debut is, per <i>Booklist</i>, a "punch to the gut in the best way" about the strength of love and the power of choosing each other, against odds and obstacles, again and again. It was also longlisted for this year's National Book Award for Young People’s Literature - whoa! And here's the <i>Kirkus Review</i> note: ""Derrick tells Stevie’s story with finesse, the beats well paced and building powerfully. Small-town Pennsylvania is vividly portrayed, the complex emotions Stevie feels for her hometown becoming viscerally relatable. Heart-rending and heartwarming."</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, only one more roundup to go! We hope you've found some books that you love so far. The blog will return with our final top 5 list soon, and until then, read on!</div></div></div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-61180752317261758992023-12-07T08:30:00.000-08:002023-12-07T08:30:00.124-08:00Top 5 Picks, 2023 - Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxSFgwIPgOSOQnei3BCZ6pAMvVa7yrWDb54kYyRQh0TebMZjykKdIeC9gcH9Xg2yC96jHXLBrq6RoiJvP_QxoeQiuFKrS5zfLtw_vO6Mehi6JXsva8CAzRE8q53SJedRrQXBPV0aPid838puF9bvJuDVGg8g-1XmORnhJJDEjwekBRzhOTAlChihTW286/s942/top%205%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="942" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxSFgwIPgOSOQnei3BCZ6pAMvVa7yrWDb54kYyRQh0TebMZjykKdIeC9gcH9Xg2yC96jHXLBrq6RoiJvP_QxoeQiuFKrS5zfLtw_vO6Mehi6JXsva8CAzRE8q53SJedRrQXBPV0aPid838puF9bvJuDVGg8g-1XmORnhJJDEjwekBRzhOTAlChihTW286/s320/top%205%202.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Another day, another round of wonderful books. Here are more top 5 picks from the Boswellains. Part three, in fact!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The first Boswellian to feature today is Kay Wosewick, one of our most prolific readers and recommenders. Here are here top 5 books of the year.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJCbIaseBjAw2JJUKm4dFiGjJdad3pvL5DIIz-sP46zWTa6QHtsRsTr82Da5Yv0IxxgjDJ7o4xdVA6rOOEiQqNxOxbgW8qTgS6YGOb6bGBQ_c5eSxCJU0t-FZ6h9KhmE9wQxB2kNim6p30Ti8UwF-SqUCxH2CWu0FpQCt7u43poLhCG1c7sR2Z_UQriUW/s994/Kay%205.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="994" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJCbIaseBjAw2JJUKm4dFiGjJdad3pvL5DIIz-sP46zWTa6QHtsRsTr82Da5Yv0IxxgjDJ7o4xdVA6rOOEiQqNxOxbgW8qTgS6YGOb6bGBQ_c5eSxCJU0t-FZ6h9KhmE9wQxB2kNim6p30Ti8UwF-SqUCxH2CWu0FpQCt7u43poLhCG1c7sR2Z_UQriUW/w400-h121/Kay%205.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780374110338" target="_blank"><b>Birnam Wood</b></a> by Eleanor Catton. Kay says: "This complex, masterfully paced thriller is set in New Zealand, where a group of young adults secretly grow food on other people’s land. An American billionaire's arrival wreaks wide-ranging havoc on land and lives alike. Tension builds from the first chapter thanks to rich inner monologues of key characters."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593539583" target="_blank"><b>Ascension</b></a> by Nicholas Binge. Kay writes: "<i>Ascension</i> glides so effortlessly you won’t realize you haven’t shifted in your chair for hours. It has tentacles in many genres - adventure, thriller, sci-fi, horror, psychology, philosophy, many sciences - plus fabulously eclectic characters. Stunning."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780063043046" target="_blank"><b>The Endless Vessel</b></a> by Charles Soule. From Kay: "A dramatically beautiful object - clearly not of this world - is given to the owner of a small company. Employee Lily sees signs of her long-dead father in the innards of the object, setting her on a mission to find where it came from. The story that unfolds is beautiful, magical, hopeful, occasionally frightening, and often inspiring. This story will grip you tightly until it releases you, finger by finger, in the end."</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781771965514" target="_blank"><b>The Full-Moon Whaling Chronicles</b></a> by Jason Guriel. Kay says: "It’s 2070. Earth is vastly different, but tech innovation has kept the planet mostly livable. YA fiction is wildly popular, especially a book called “The Full-Moon Whaling Chronicles.” Amongst its most fervent fans are some whale-hunting wolves and two humans. Told in delightful rhyming couplets, the wolves’ and humans’ stories alternate and influence each other. There is much to enjoy: the rhyming couplets, self-deprecating, quirky, and often funny characters, plenty of curious tech innovations, and humorous links to the past, such as zubered, ZukTube, ZikZok, zlog, Tesla Trouts, Kia Prawns, Ben Gauzy (an ancient curse), Ganwulf, Wulvia Plath and plenty more."</div><div><br /></div><div>#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780691253589" target="_blank"><b>Alien Worlds: How Insects Conquered the Earth, and Why Their Fate Will Determine Our Future</b></a> by Steve Nicholls. From Kay: "Nicholls makes learning about insects a joy. With insects representing one quarter of all animals, he justifiably calls them the most successful group of animals on planet earth. Here are some juicy nuggets from this delicious book: Over one million species have been identified, but Nicholls thinks 5 million is a more reasonable count. Very early evolution of bodily diversity coupled with extreme adaptability is what allowed insects to conquer nearly all ends of the planet. As many of us have guessed, insects do, indeed, have greater resistance to extinction than other animals. They obliterate the laws of aviation. Of their two options for successful offspring, laying massive numbers of eggs is the method used by 99% of insects; only about 1% invest time and energy helping offspring survive. Research supports the label of “superorganism” for selected ants and termites. Wow. Nicholls closes with a profound statement: “recent research points to the fact that insect brains possess enough complexity to generate a basic level of consciousness.” Consider that next time you grab a can of Raid."</div><div><br /></div><div>Keith Rutowski has, well, he has a top one pick this year. Because most of the time, Keith is reading books that are around the same age as the state of Wisconsin. BUT! He did discover one book released this year that he loves, and so we share his thoughts on it here.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8dwpUWyV5zR8EsCsqJajD12AifcFzz6GlGSrioU1EKOr-J3oc7A3s2ByCPbNO7yg8V28xyPkzDd7_YWGptUAoeos0xwKT18kkwhFbTBzynr_s7dXN4w_24i2rNF4NxTJHrINrZZ2owPJPMIssM3cFI6kGC-PqvuoyOkiA2RdaLW46-68t4Croo43fGohv" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="269" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8dwpUWyV5zR8EsCsqJajD12AifcFzz6GlGSrioU1EKOr-J3oc7A3s2ByCPbNO7yg8V28xyPkzDd7_YWGptUAoeos0xwKT18kkwhFbTBzynr_s7dXN4w_24i2rNF4NxTJHrINrZZ2owPJPMIssM3cFI6kGC-PqvuoyOkiA2RdaLW46-68t4Croo43fGohv=w134-h200" width="134" /></a></div><br />#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780811234474" target="_blank"><b>A Mountain to the North, a Lake to the South, Paths to the West, a River to the East</b></a> by László Krasznahorkai, translated by Ottilie Mulzet. Keith opines: "Krasznahorkai is one of my favorite living writers, and this novella is a slim, jewel-like volume of exceptional beauty. In it, the grandson of prince Genji travels to a monastery in Kyoto with the hope of finding a garden that may or may not exist there. His journey throughout the monastery grounds yields splendid, detailed descriptions of living things, built structures, and various phenomena. In many ways, Krasznahorkai’s experimentation with how consciousness can be sculpted into a shape and rhythm makes him a kindred spirit of the great 20th Century modernists. And what sentences he produces! In many of his books, a sentence is an unrelenting torrent that gouges the muddy banks it passes, glides around boulders and other impediments, gathers momentum and cascades from a precipice, falls hundreds of vertical feet, and then continues downstream sweeping up and carrying along all manner of scattered debris before it reaches its natural end many miles - or pages - later. In the case of this particular book, he’s operating with the same technical style, but the emotional effect seems closer to a gentle but steady spring rain falling on the surface of an isolated pond. As is the case with all of his work, <i>A Mountain to the North…</i> is mesmerizing, hypnotic, and utterly alive."</div><div><br /></div><div>Madi Hill, master of the quirky and quintessential nonfiction pick, has five faves for 2023, and here they are.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg37tWoFirU7T1kK8ZppNkSotLUiM52PIsCJkIsmB5AZ6DUVAyUFcS6eNmn_wy2Jb8dazvtsBgBEmRfl9VB5itAmGC9dwlE0O7f_7Rwt99jRxRuM5woSQ0rte_qKRSVWQVLuY95WPpaY0WNpz142c_c0_Q1LYQpgvY7vDLelvcRYjMWZjb2hvypFO5ZgudV/s984/Mad5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="984" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg37tWoFirU7T1kK8ZppNkSotLUiM52PIsCJkIsmB5AZ6DUVAyUFcS6eNmn_wy2Jb8dazvtsBgBEmRfl9VB5itAmGC9dwlE0O7f_7Rwt99jRxRuM5woSQ0rte_qKRSVWQVLuY95WPpaY0WNpz142c_c0_Q1LYQpgvY7vDLelvcRYjMWZjb2hvypFO5ZgudV/w400-h126/Mad5.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781982186104" target="_blank"><b>Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage</b></a> by Jeff Guinn. From Madi: "Waco is recent enough history that many remember it, yet memory can be such a fickle thing. Luckily, Jeff Guinn has tackled the subject in his new book, simply titled Waco, that recounts the history of the Branch Davidians and the infamous Mount Carmel raid in Waco, Texas. For a topic so polarizing, Guinn manages to tell a narrative that does not imply personal bias, but provides as many facts as possible so the truest story can be told. His in-depth research uncovered information even true crime connoisseurs will be surprised to learn about the history of the Branch Davidians and David Koresh, including reflections on the long-lasting impact of the raid on Waco and its contribution to today's radicalization of right-wing groups. A true page turner, <i>Waco </i>is a fantastic read, dare I say likely to be the best book on Waco to be published in time for its 30th anniversary."</div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781982186531" target="_blank"><b>The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar</b></a> by Robin R. Means Coleman and Mark H. Harris. A definitive and surprising exploration of the history of Black horror films, after the rising success of <i>Get Out</i>, <i>Candyman</i>, and <i>Lovecraft Country </i>from creators behind the acclaimed documentary, <i>Horror Noire</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780812998627" target="_blank"><b>The Guest</b></a> by Emma Cline. Madi says: "Alex is living it up with her rich, older boyfriend. She has practiced playing the role of perfect girlfriend, but old habits die hard, and there's a reason she is running from her past. Emma Cline has a talent at creating characters that willingly dive headfirst into bad decisions, but in such a way that keeps you reading through the cringe. Cline's sophomore novel crafts a story that keeps you anxious to know what happens next to our protagonist/trainwreck, with a revolving cast of disposable characters she parasitically clings to until they've outlived their usefulness. <i>The Guest</i> is unforgiving but enthralling, an ode to the mistakes of our youth and the devastating consequences when we never learn to grow."</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593582503" target="_blank"><b>Strong Female Character</b></a> by Fern Brady. A memoir as funny as it is heartbreaking. Scottish comedian Fern Brady was told she couldn't be autistic because she'd had loads of boyfriends and is good at eye contact. In this frank and surreal memoir, she delivers a sharp and often hilarious portrait of neurodivergence and living unmasked. From the <i>New York Times</i>: “<i>Strong Female Character </i>is a testament to Brady’s quality of said character, her tenacity in the face of a world not yet ready to grapple with all she brings to it."</div><div><br /></div><div>#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250847744" target="_blank"><b>Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs</b></a> by Jamie Loftus. Madi writes: "Hot dog lovers, unite! Jamie Loftus has crafted the hot dog tour across America you never knew you wanted but can't stop reading. Follow the history of the wiener as Loftus, her boyfriend, a cocker spaniel, and a cat traverse the nation to find the best hot dog shops that the country has to offer, all while teaching the history of each spot along the way. Surprisingly heartfelt and educational, Raw Dog does not shy away from how the sausage gets made (literally), but it’s told from such a passionate and well researched perspective that seeing the process does not stop the hot dog craving this book produces in those who read it. For readers who wished <i>Easy Rider</i> was centered around tube meats, this book is for you. Hot diggity!"</div><div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Ogi Ubiparipovic has hung up his booksellin' spurs to ride off to greener pastures (to take a job with the city) but he left behind his his top 5 for the year. So one last time for old time's sake, here's Ogi's faves.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDU6yblXbLZZ9Qj3TeVrf0KHt4lS9KgQUu0Odl67qUT2QVmqmIUh1ionmKYRrT5j7aVs3fLJ39iXP2RAHemd8U80D1FeScv-PkKYg0ck4N6h5jpokH_H3slnAXy9FmoW6fs1C3ZKJ_cZ8PpKTKcKn-lr3d0feu40UnHpuD-R_dOOC7VzsYkdK44oZYv0d/s984/Og5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="984" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDU6yblXbLZZ9Qj3TeVrf0KHt4lS9KgQUu0Odl67qUT2QVmqmIUh1ionmKYRrT5j7aVs3fLJ39iXP2RAHemd8U80D1FeScv-PkKYg0ck4N6h5jpokH_H3slnAXy9FmoW6fs1C3ZKJ_cZ8PpKTKcKn-lr3d0feu40UnHpuD-R_dOOC7VzsYkdK44oZYv0d/w400-h129/Og5.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250826794" target="_blank"><b>The Witch King</b></a> by Martha Wells. Martha Wells’s first new fantasy novel in over a decade, drawing together her signature ability to create characters we adore and identify with, alongside breathtaking action and adventure, and the wit and charm we’ve come to expect from one of the leading writers of her generation. From the <i>Wall Street Journal</i>: "A wonderfully original world, sympathetic characters and a solid quest make <i>Witch King</i> the satisfying fantasy you yearn for when named swords and cursed rings begin to grow stale."</div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781801108423" target="_blank"><b>City of Last Chances</b></a> by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Winner of the British Science Fiction Association Award for First Novel. A darkly inventive portrait of a city under occupation and on the verge of revolution. Patrick Ness calls it: "Endlessly creative... so much invention peeking around every corner."</div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250246516" target="_blank"><b>Empire of the Vampire</b></a> by Jay Kristoff, illustrated by Bon Orthwick. From <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author Jay Kristoff, this is the first illustrated volume of an astonishing new dark fantasy saga. Laini Taylor, author of <i>Strange the Dreamer</i>, says: "Brilliant and unputdownable, with tenderness and light bound into the bitterdark of a grim and fascinating world."</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250228024" target="_blank"><b>The Terraformers</b></a> by Annalee Newitz. This is a sweeping, uplifting, and illuminating exploration of the future. <i>The Terraformers </i>takes you on a journey spanning thousands of years and exploring the triumphs, strife, and hope that find us wherever we make our home. John Scalzi says: "Fascinating and readable in equal measure, <i>The Terraformers </i>will remake your mind like its cast remakes an entire planet."</div><div><br /></div><div>#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780316387316" target="_blank"><b>The Blade Itself</b></a> by Joe Abercrombie. Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny, and packed with unforgettable characters, this is noir fantasy with a real cutting edge. Jeff VanderMeer says: "Bold and authentically original." And from Scott Lynch, author of <i>The Lies of Locke Lamora</i>, another Ogi favorite: "If you're fond of bloodless, turgid fantasy with characters as thin as newspaper and as boring as plaster saints, Joe Abercrombie is really going to ruin your day. A long career for this guy would be a gift to our genre."</div><div><br /></div><div>We'll be back soon with more Boswellian faves for the year. Until then, read on</div></div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-57462706415758585642023-12-06T11:01:00.000-08:002023-12-06T13:35:13.113-08:00Top 5 Picks, 2023 - Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4A_BH_W9ZHVMpFMMQ1L_c31cey7Qf_FxbpMfYLriXtUMPCProjTTA8Z_zbYnqOwkTKmn7_yE91VdigYSucCzIi5NfvQZAghLGI1kAKyf2Mqzp8sUquhtJCOMcnrxZrkeZWKFusPNa5i73IGHUGKKZN8q2_7QzDSf2M-XJxybx61NUmc8zOy3W2T4Qt4ej/s750/Top%205%203.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="750" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4A_BH_W9ZHVMpFMMQ1L_c31cey7Qf_FxbpMfYLriXtUMPCProjTTA8Z_zbYnqOwkTKmn7_yE91VdigYSucCzIi5NfvQZAghLGI1kAKyf2Mqzp8sUquhtJCOMcnrxZrkeZWKFusPNa5i73IGHUGKKZN8q2_7QzDSf2M-XJxybx61NUmc8zOy3W2T4Qt4ej/w200-h113/Top%205%203.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">More top five picks? You got it!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">First up today are Greta Borgealt's faves of the year.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxx0Gfu7PPehFCm6OYifMMxkQeAEeVkAlYJsJXvzv2AgNOyU6ZwSJFIs_Kkmg04JkbGyqGOaHZcCH_63digBHodA_2mQFTl1RQ9VhM5rwDxjYyIH84hKS5U_M84LHRuj5tofHHUZyMPDkc_hN5H0Vj7EMcET3uUnx8IRN36D-baqjc7VvL0aOF_BSQbpo0/s1023/Gret%205.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="1023" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxx0Gfu7PPehFCm6OYifMMxkQeAEeVkAlYJsJXvzv2AgNOyU6ZwSJFIs_Kkmg04JkbGyqGOaHZcCH_63digBHodA_2mQFTl1RQ9VhM5rwDxjYyIH84hKS5U_M84LHRuj5tofHHUZyMPDkc_hN5H0Vj7EMcET3uUnx8IRN36D-baqjc7VvL0aOF_BSQbpo0/w400-h127/Gret%205.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781638930365" target="_blank"><b>Monstrilio</b></a> by Gerardo Sámano Córdova. Greta says: "<i>Monstrilio</i>, by debut author Gerardo Sámano Córdova, will blow you away with its depiction of the ugliness and otherworldliness of grief and how it affects people differently. When Magos and Joseph lose their only child, Santiago, Magos cuts him open and takes a piece of his lung. The lung starts to grow into a monster, and they try to raise it as they would a son. The story is told from the perspective of four different narrators. The final narrator is the monster, Monstrilio. This is a book will beautiful prose and intricate imagery that will stay with you. <i>Monstrilio </i>will make you contemplate what it means to be human and rethink the nature vs nurture debate. I loved this novel like it was my own sick and twisted child."</div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781646221509" target="_blank"><b>All Night Pharmacy</b></a> by Ruth Madievsky. Of this one Greta proclaims: "<i>All Night Pharmacy </i>is a riveting account of early adulthood and learning how to live for yourself. The narrator suffers from an unhealthy relationship with her older sister nursed by booze, sex, and pills. She must find a new sense of identity when her older sister disappears after an outburst of violence. Strange and vibrant characters come in and out of her life as she tries to put the pieces together. It transports to you a wild LA landscape and showcases the transitory nature of life. One theme that is very present in the book is generational trauma, especially within immigrants of the Jewish community. Madievsky is a Jewish immigrant herself, moving to the US when she was just two years old. One of my favorite things about the novel is that, although it is full of dread at times, there is a lot of character growth in the main character, which I found to be kind of hopeful. It is highly emotion-fueled, but what is the point of art of any kind if it does not evoke some sort of emotion out of its audience?"</div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780063278677" target="_blank"><b>Days at the Morisaki Bookshop</b></a> by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated by Eric Ozawa. Greta declares: "A young woman starts working at her family’s book store after breaking up with her boyfriend and quitting her job. The author obviously loves books. The family relationships in this novel are so nuanced and interesting. I related a lot to the main character, and it had made me feel like I was on the right path by becoming a bookseller."</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781613163771" target="_blank"><b>Death of a Bookseller</b></a> by Alice Slater. Greta voices her opinion: "For fans of books about unhinged women, this book from debut author Alice Slater will meet your criteria for the elusive genre of sorts. It follows Roach, a bookseller whose obsession with true crime makes others uneasy. The reader will be these among these people. When a new bookseller, Laura, comes to Roach's store, she sees an opportunity to make a friend who also possibly also likes to read true crime, but Laura has a dark secret that she wants to keep hidden. As the story unravels, chaos ensues. It is characterized by Roach's compulsive behavior while pursuing friendship. It is a thrilling read."</div><div><br /></div><div>#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781643751542" target="_blank"><b>Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close</b></a> by Hannah Carlson. Greta asks: "Have you ever asked yourself, why are women's pockets generally smaller than men's pockets? In the book Pockets, by Hannah Carlson, the author will answer this question and more. This book goes all the way back to the beginning. Surprisingly, this account of history has a feminist lens. It is more interesting than one would think, and you don't have to be very knowledgeable about fashion to be able to enjoy this book."</div><div><br /></div><div>Next up, it's Jane Callanan and her favorite five.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxIqHh8PJ_YRplccKYL1EsFSGpy_JDQ3SCE0wCAE-CiBbdLbF9HvTY2AIBF2EADzU-gJth9U2eSn8ZuhTLQVPw4qpnUly_IxWJAYNnM1q1qqq3eLwGv1vaQSQX-SZgh8qUXdBBiLYEAt8HwETua6-Rc7Nx6p8sfNNTZc4Q2gG4asIgU3wo1eKptSKI3UD/s999/Jane5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="999" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxIqHh8PJ_YRplccKYL1EsFSGpy_JDQ3SCE0wCAE-CiBbdLbF9HvTY2AIBF2EADzU-gJth9U2eSn8ZuhTLQVPw4qpnUly_IxWJAYNnM1q1qqq3eLwGv1vaQSQX-SZgh8qUXdBBiLYEAt8HwETua6-Rc7Nx6p8sfNNTZc4Q2gG4asIgU3wo1eKptSKI3UD/w400-h131/Jane5.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780525657323" target="_blank"><b>The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession</b></a> by Michael Finkel. Jane remarks: "<i>The Art Thief</i> is definitely one of my favorite nonfictions I've ever read! Finkel's descriptions were so immersive and captivating that I genuinely could not put the book down. The story is complex and unique, and it ensures an informative read for all. Filled with some of the art world's most interesting stories, fascinating fun facts, and a high-risk heist, this book will keep you entertained and in awe!"</div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781982199456" target="_blank"><b>The Writing Retreat</b></a> by Julia Bartz. Jane announces: "Desperate for her big break after struggling with a year-long case of writer's block, Alex is finally accepted into one of the most exclusive writing retreats in the world. Run by Alex's favorite author, famous feminist-horror writer Roza Vallo, the retreat is sure to be exciting. However, when one of the writers goes missing, the group realizes that something more sinister is afoot, and the team of unforgettable characters must race to find the truth before danger comes for them next. This novel is one of the wildest stories I've ever read, and I enjoyed every minute of it! Full of crazy twists and turns, you will not be able to put this mystery down!"</div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250803856" target="_blank"><b>All the Dangerous Things</b></a> by Stacy Willingham. Following up her instant <i>New York Times</i> bestseller, <i>A Flicker in the Dark</i>, Stacy Willingham delivers a totally gripping thriller about a desperate mother with a troubled past. From the <i>South Florida Sun Sentinel</i>: "Terrific... Willingham’s strong affinity for characters and her superior plotting elevate All the Dangerous Things. . . seals her place as a talented novelist."</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593186060" target="_blank"><b>Portrait of a Thief</b></a> by Grace D. Li. From the <i>New York Times Book Review</i>: "The thefts are engaging and surprising, and the narrative brims with international intrigue. Li, however, has delivered more than a straight thriller here, especially in the parts that depict the despair Will and his pals feel at being displaced, overlooked, underestimated, and discriminated against. This is as much a novel as a reckoning."</div><div><br /></div><div>#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780316556323" target="_blank"><b>Circe</b></a> by Madeline Miller. For the <i>Washington Post</i>, Ron Charles writes: "One of the most amazing qualities of this novel [is]: We know how everything here turns out - we've known it for thousands of years - and yet in Miller's lush reimagining, the story feels harrowing and unexpected. The feminist light she shines on these events never distorts their original shape; it only illuminates details we hadn't noticed before."</div><div></div></div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space: pre;">Now on to Jenny Chou for a 2023 full of favorites.</span></div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzp0GYFYN55AWsEWWHGd1RiXN2aUsrXno5o1GaAxNZhRNmJogkRp7OFeyst02XLhxL_QZ5sscwfTL5EVWMOshPAza0tylVddIWfIzaSdVTzhRtzAZoK_jTeRzdidNXnI03y7vzBj4-DCAfFm-UFZItjGWUWrnEa0BURQNYtBI46pycsvwKoXzf-okn944/s997/Jeny%205.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="997" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzp0GYFYN55AWsEWWHGd1RiXN2aUsrXno5o1GaAxNZhRNmJogkRp7OFeyst02XLhxL_QZ5sscwfTL5EVWMOshPAza0tylVddIWfIzaSdVTzhRtzAZoK_jTeRzdidNXnI03y7vzBj4-DCAfFm-UFZItjGWUWrnEa0BURQNYtBI46pycsvwKoXzf-okn944/w400-h126/Jeny%205.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space: pre;">#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593500156" target="_blank"><b>Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries</b></a> by Heather Fawcett. Jenny avows: "</span>The publisher’s marketing had me at ‘dark fae magic,’ but add in a bookish introvert researching fairies and her mysterious, insufferably charismatic colleague, and I knew I’d started a delightful, can’t-put-it-down novel. Emily Wilde’s life’s work is the compilation of an encyclopaedia with an entry on every species of fairy. In 1909, she sets out from Cambridge University where she taught to do field work on the never-seen fairies of a country much like Iceland. Professor Wendell Bambleby follows her, probably to take credit for her findings. He charms the grim assortment of locals, who Emily has already insulted, though she can’t figure out why or when. The longer Wendell stays, the deeper the mystery surrounding him and his link to the fae becomes. Emily is a clever heroine, kinder than she gives herself credit for, and I loved watching the connections she makes as the novel progresses, especially when it comes to the equally dashing and irritating Wendell. You’ll be glad you met these two as you think about them long after turning the last page! Luckily, this is the start of a series."</div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593535707" target="_blank"><b>The Rachel Incident</b></a> by Caroline O'Donoghue. Jenny states: "Rachel is a college student, uncertain about love and friendship, and with a desperate need to be taken seriously. Her best friend is her bookstore coworker. He’s gay, which everyone around him seems to know, even in closeted 2009 Ireland. When a married English professor turns both their lives upside down, the results are messy and surprising, and the repercussions span years. The Irish setting makes the book feel timely in 2023 America regarding the social justice chaos we’re currently facing. How is it that Ireland has moved forward on issues like abortion and LGBTQ rights while we’re backtracking? The Rachel Incident is the laugh-out-loud, clever, and sometimes cringe-inducing book we all needed in our early twenties to let us know that life would have its ups and downs during that long slog to becoming a grownup, but we’d end up mostly okay."</div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781639930999" target="_blank"><b>The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry</b></a> by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown. From the publisher: "Eleven-year-old Juniper Berry lives in a cabin with her family deep in the wild woods. Living off the grid is usually exciting, like the time she chased off three growling raccoons with a tree branch and some acorns, or when she thought she glimpsed the legendary Bigfoot. But her happy life in the wild ends abruptly when her younger brother gets sick, and the family moves to the city to be closer to the hospital. <i>The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry</i> is a story about perseverance when faced with difficult and unfamiliar challenges, belonging and finding your identity, compassion for others, and learning that our differences can sometimes be our strengths."</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780735231665" target="_blank"><b>Star Splitter</b></a> by Matthew J. Kirby. Jenny imparts the following: "Jessica Mathers has every right to be angry. First her parents abandoned her on earth for a research trip into outer space, and then, once she’s settled in with her grandmother and her friends, they insist she join them on their mission. Space travel in 2199 means using a 3-D printer to teleport across the universe. Before departure, a hard drive backs up memories for safekeeping in case the traveler's body is destroyed. When Jessica climbs out of the printer light years away from earth expecting to see her parents, she instead finds herself on a crashed ship on a bleak, seemingly abandoned planet. The truth behind what happened makes for a thrilling page-turner, but what I found really interesting was the way <i>Star Splitter </i>explores how life experiences can create wildly divergent emotional journeys. Because while illegal, it is possible to print two copies of the same person. The dual-narrative of dual Jessicas is brilliantly done here, and the wholly unexpected ending really packs an emotional punch. Teen readers will love the twisty plot, but don't miss out on this clever sci-fi just because you’re a grown-up!"</div><div><br /></div><div>#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780765387493" target="_blank"><b>The Fragile Threads of Power</b></a> by VE Schwab. Jenny gives voice to this opinion: "Fans of V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy will be thrilled to learn this new series-starter brings more adventures with Kell, Lila, Alucard, and Rhy! I found the latest book to be layered with one richly-drawn, intertwined plotline after another. Seven years have passed since the events of <i>A Conjuring of Light</i>, and in Red London, Rhy sits precariously on the throne ruling a magical land without magic of his own. A dark shadow looms, a league called the Hand, whose members are bent on overthrowing the monarchy, which puts not only Rhy in danger, but also his child. Still captain of her own ship, Lila Bard is charged with tracking down a stolen magical artifact capable of creating doors to other lands without the use of Antari magic. As for Kell, the traveler who launched the original series in <i>A Darker Shade of Magic</i>? It’s heartbreaking to watch my favorite character struggle to live with his Antari magic broken, but his swordsmanship rivals Lila’s now. In the midst of all this, Schwab has created a stunning new character to love. Tes is a repair-shop assistant, a tinkerer, and a girl who can literally see strands of magic. She becomes the missing piece we didn’t know we needed in the sparkling fantasy world of the four Londons. If you are already a fan, you’ll want to read this on pub date, and if you haven’t read the original three books? Hey, you’ve got the whole summer!"</div><div><br /></div><div>And let's wrap up this installment of top 5 picks (and none too soon, I'm clearly running out of synonyms for "says") with the one and only Kathy Herbst and her best books of the year.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRM5T8DqCDdBgbX83j-g_JUJ9x9KmX8uLtmsy-Iy2oJBuvn8d_tbg4moa9MfeumY81yR9OOvaWq4hunUkHxLD-4KGkUxdNNPQI9HeaYCsqxS-bDDJrueV-Hl6f4U5gcbvJZ0kPjLd6fyo-QvHwnFXQTKv5UbfwjMBpW0J9mis_V1k7LSvDz_rB3o74AWUi/s990/Kathy5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="990" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRM5T8DqCDdBgbX83j-g_JUJ9x9KmX8uLtmsy-Iy2oJBuvn8d_tbg4moa9MfeumY81yR9OOvaWq4hunUkHxLD-4KGkUxdNNPQI9HeaYCsqxS-bDDJrueV-Hl6f4U5gcbvJZ0kPjLd6fyo-QvHwnFXQTKv5UbfwjMBpW0J9mis_V1k7LSvDz_rB3o74AWUi/w400-h126/Kathy5.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781953534873" target="_blank"><b>The Memory of Animals</b></a> by Claire Fuller. Here's what Kathy comes out with: "A mesmerizing book that, in our COVID world, hits uncomfortably close to home. Set in London during a deadly pandemic for which the world is unprepared, Neffy, a disgraced marine biologist, has volunteered for an experimental vaccine trial. When the staff and most of the other volunteers flee the hospital, Neffy is one of five remaining and the only one of the five who received the vaccine. Cut off from society and left to fend for themselves, these strangers are forced to rely on each other to survive. In part a meditation on choices made in order to survive, this is also very much Neffy's story, with chapters dedicated to her life as a marine biologist, her fascination with octopuses, and her complicated family relationships."</div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780385549509" target="_blank"><b>Normal Rules Don't Apply: Stories</b></a> by Kate Atkinson. Kathy observes: "An imaginative and engaging book of short stories that are full of wit, humor, and unexpected connections. The characters and the situations they face are delightfully inventive, with spot on observations about human nature and relationships. Couldn't put it down, so I read one after another, though I usually pace myself with a book of short stories!"</div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593239919" target="_blank"><b>Poverty, by America</b></a> by Matthew Desmond. Kathy alleges: "<i>Poverty, by America </i>addresses important questions about financial inequities in our country. Why hasn't the level of poverty changed in spite of calls for reform? Who benefits from poverty (his answers may or may not surprise you) and from government programs set up to address it? And where does much of the money designated to help poor families really end up? Desmond makes a compelling argument that the gross inequality and financial insecurity in America is no accident. Nor is it the "fault" of the poor who many need to believe are poor because they are lazy and unwilling to work. Citing numerous studies and statistics, Desmond dispels many of the myths we hold and suggests solutions through systemic reform, the election of people willing to make changes, and all of us understanding how we benefit from a permanent underclass."</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593536193" target="_blank"><b>After the Funeral and Other Stories</b></a> by Tessa Hadley. One of <i>TIME</i>'s 100 Must-Read books of the year, this is a masterful collection of stories that plumb the depths of everyday life to reveal the shifting tides and hidden undercurrents of ordinary relationships. Per the aforementioned Ron Charles (one of our favorite book critics here at Boswell) Tessa Hadley is "one of the greatest stylists alive."</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780062867988" target="_blank"><b>The White Lady: A British Historical Mystery</b></a> by Jacqueline Winspear. Kathy shouts it from the rooftops: "In her new and engrossing history-based thriller, the Maisie Dobbs series author Winspear has created a new protagonist, Elinor White. Recruited as a teenager in Belgium to spy on German soldiers during WWI, she continues her work as wartime operative and trained killer in WWII. We first meet Elinor in post-war Britain - a woman haunted by the past and actions she was forced to take as an operative as well as by the fate of her family. Intent on creating a new and solitary life, she instead becomes involved in the lives of a young couple and their daughter who are also struggling to leave a difficult and dangerous past behind them. As with the Maisie Dobbs books, Winspear brings to vivid life the significance and often untold reality of women's incredible contributions during the world wars."</div><div><br /></div><div>And that is the Boswellians top five picks of 2023, part two! We'll be back in a day (or so!) with thesaurus in hand and lots more great books for you to gift to everyone. Yes, even yourself. Until then, read on.</div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-73708571343819122452023-12-05T08:00:00.000-08:002023-12-05T08:00:00.138-08:00Staff Recommendations, Week of December 5, 2023<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">The first list of recs for the last month of the year.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaVfOwCIbTKevFFyFYjvBuWrsAVFnEdfR-rDFsZ-TSEXlWdbdfaDPLW4aFbNZDSNYHBKjwrP4cZF_xcCJHxzugbSDuwuXR_dWG2KN6NYz8brqCGS7VIGpXCxVsW5b3p0T--skz3noqlt3EZ3VyzpVh3bCrQNyX-d7O04m1A7jQ2HY5qEFKniV9DIaBXSbp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaVfOwCIbTKevFFyFYjvBuWrsAVFnEdfR-rDFsZ-TSEXlWdbdfaDPLW4aFbNZDSNYHBKjwrP4cZF_xcCJHxzugbSDuwuXR_dWG2KN6NYz8brqCGS7VIGpXCxVsW5b3p0T--skz3noqlt3EZ3VyzpVh3bCrQNyX-d7O04m1A7jQ2HY5qEFKniV9DIaBXSbp=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>We'll do our recommending alphabetically (by first name) this week, which means we begin with Jason Kennedy and his words on <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780674659735" target="_blank"><b>Magus: The Art of Magic from Faustus to Agrippa</b></a>, a history of magic in Renaissance Europe by Anthony Grafton. Jason says: "A serious look at those individuals in Medieval Europe that styled themselves as natural magic practitioners. They were alchemists, astrologers and such that focused on the laws of nature and how to use them to their benefit. This book charmed me with its window into the ways these magicians moved about the world and used what would later be described as science - however they would mix it with a bit of theater and showmanship (thinking of you, Faustus!)."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBZ7xiHB3l1J3T_F8Pwg-U4JxvtXD5Sl_L47OHGjWYwXwxafUGfxe1ZqjqNUDV2jGgaAsZovVOH5k_qwFsgNd2W2It5ir6FQLo0Xm9wYPh9YUfVp5KT5-pSTdb26mimYhVG2KM98DuOXYb9dZ9bUBq_ZZyMwwIgK2xrYAXeyGbyjAlGg-iXuYwdy2fDmHV" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBZ7xiHB3l1J3T_F8Pwg-U4JxvtXD5Sl_L47OHGjWYwXwxafUGfxe1ZqjqNUDV2jGgaAsZovVOH5k_qwFsgNd2W2It5ir6FQLo0Xm9wYPh9YUfVp5KT5-pSTdb26mimYhVG2KM98DuOXYb9dZ9bUBq_ZZyMwwIgK2xrYAXeyGbyjAlGg-iXuYwdy2fDmHV=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our next recommender is Kathy Herbst, who brings us <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781668024782" target="_blank"><b>The Other Mothers</b></a>, a thriller by British author Katherine Faulkner. Kathy says: "An engrossing page-turner about class, privilege, secrets, and murder that will keep you guessing until the very end. Tash is struggling to relaunch her career as a journalist while carrying for her two-year-old who's not adjusting well to daycare. When three moms at her son's daycare befriend her and offer to set up playdates, Tash is drawn into the lives of these well-to-do, successful women - a world she desperately wants to belong to. But when a young nanny is found dead under suspicious circumstances and Tash decides to investigate, she uncovers information that threatens her relationship with her husband and her new friends. Who exactly are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? Who is lying and who is telling the truth? And, are there really good guys and bad guys?"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_DQYPLAdK6PBow4_Cm5ehTv2FpKqOyfOtesGL9SVIzC7pkRTB3vRRITiTuLsL_1DaBvHMVcnGPwyJXth4CXqZ-ODeDpSEGmDKZ-mBV2gko2NxDjwmSWY-6r-GcxoJ_McruQnLfIkoAyK-gWnkV1eIXiha-ZTMilZDj9Sxpf9Ry_ThRo-PlJ-fmCGYLXSj" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_DQYPLAdK6PBow4_Cm5ehTv2FpKqOyfOtesGL9SVIzC7pkRTB3vRRITiTuLsL_1DaBvHMVcnGPwyJXth4CXqZ-ODeDpSEGmDKZ-mBV2gko2NxDjwmSWY-6r-GcxoJ_McruQnLfIkoAyK-gWnkV1eIXiha-ZTMilZDj9Sxpf9Ry_ThRo-PlJ-fmCGYLXSj=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div>Kay Wosewick wraps things up with <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781642861341" target="_blank"><b>On the Isle of Antioch</b></a>, a novel by French-Lebanese author Amin Maalouf, translated into English by Natasha Lehrer. Kay writes: "Maalouf’s twist on 'alien contact' is fantastic. Two individuals live alone on a tiny, remote island in the Atlantic; each lives a solitary, satisfying life. After loss of electricity, radio, and satellite contact, they are swept up in the arrival of mysterious aliens. Major country leaders are contacted, but the quiet island is of unique interest to the aliens. They complete their necessary business swiftly, but linger, unsure if they should stay or go. You may be left questioning nothing less than the value of human civilization."</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwYuj4j30-B9mnuWxQCiiaholc5QTQFGqeiv_Izr2JNbsCKGbkcT2unyc_cjgmUcj-fSf8RH8R8vDEUDXxhW2EnKaDVHja79u0HksThNX217gx3FH1o1A8vrVp4sH9rQAezxTwBPYpUjlJ8MhnCY6bwPWbNfGRayDraDAkLS5erGUEnql08QQCspytKCaP" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwYuj4j30-B9mnuWxQCiiaholc5QTQFGqeiv_Izr2JNbsCKGbkcT2unyc_cjgmUcj-fSf8RH8R8vDEUDXxhW2EnKaDVHja79u0HksThNX217gx3FH1o1A8vrVp4sH9rQAezxTwBPYpUjlJ8MhnCY6bwPWbNfGRayDraDAkLS5erGUEnql08QQCspytKCaP=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div><div>Now it's back to Jason for a paperback pick - <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593467947" target="_blank"><b>Bad Cree</b></a>, a horror novel by Jessica Johns that Jason describes like this: "In <i>Bad Cree</i>, horror and grief are bound together; the duality of meanings of seemingly benign objects can both frighten and soothe. Mackenzie has moved away from her family and all the loss she has endured, however her past won't leave her alone. Nightmares begin to impact her life, forcing her to return home for help. Other members of her family are experiencing the same hauntings that are getting more and more serious. This book will have you believing that sleep is overrated. A brilliant and scary debut!"</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpK-UrkPsckoRL8XJAwk0Dyp-ZeljEnpzxufIQuO_eXdMKbzepqsU3SJGgdnaXZ7KggDhioK24VBfJzT1ur7qZXVJEddWtkcTMIsMZdB3-0mpbJFF90aanzd9A77dZa4uEAsFiNDIwaxboFuPMWagLoh1lwO5lHAITfioNKLLDytOWn7c5hLPwRpDBGXr0" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="256" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpK-UrkPsckoRL8XJAwk0Dyp-ZeljEnpzxufIQuO_eXdMKbzepqsU3SJGgdnaXZ7KggDhioK24VBfJzT1ur7qZXVJEddWtkcTMIsMZdB3-0mpbJFF90aanzd9A77dZa4uEAsFiNDIwaxboFuPMWagLoh1lwO5lHAITfioNKLLDytOWn7c5hLPwRpDBGXr0=w128-h200" width="128" /></a></div><div>And now Daniel Goldin chimes in with his notes on <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250834584" target="_blank"><b>The Ingenue</b></a>, the second novel by native Milwaukeean Rachel Kapelke-Dale, also out in paperback this week. Daniel says: "Saskia Kreis, a once-piano prodigy who now writes test prep questions, returns to Milwaukee after her the death of her mother, the writer of feminist fairy tales, only to find that the family home that she expects to inherit has been gifted to someone else. And not just anyone else, but Saskia’s former secret lover. Basically, WTF? I really enjoyed the way mom’s revisionist stories are woven into the story, as well as the local Milwaukee details that infuse the narrative. But really, it’s the suspenseful way the secrets are peeled away in <i>The Ingenue</i> that makes this a Midwestern Gothic not to be missed."</div><div><br /></div><div>And those are the recs!</div><div><br /></div><div>While the general ebb and flow of the yearly publication schedule dictates a December with fewer recommendations than a typical month, you'll want to check the blog often in the coming week, as we've already begun our annual roll out the full list of Boswellian Top 5 picks of 2023 in daily posts. Read on!</div></div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-27593826354435788622023-12-04T08:00:00.000-08:002023-12-04T08:00:00.128-08:00Top 5 Picks, 2023 - Part 1<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_YtCq17hvH7v_3BsaunBTQtzLT6FGi6-CtaqSr6c-MqPSDdyrWRd5mMuiJwd5AwfHJFl7lv05y6HZNVf26DEQ5Uys8TtfxToWbuLS0ztAfz7yLCfSRvg6z3MQr4YYra48oa8gtpaCw2GFlFVbQAnm8hHJQrXlACDgwZidRp-qvlmFzmhxrPk8LQzFyEm/s1511/Top%205%20icon.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1007" data-original-width="1511" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_YtCq17hvH7v_3BsaunBTQtzLT6FGi6-CtaqSr6c-MqPSDdyrWRd5mMuiJwd5AwfHJFl7lv05y6HZNVf26DEQ5Uys8TtfxToWbuLS0ztAfz7yLCfSRvg6z3MQr4YYra48oa8gtpaCw2GFlFVbQAnm8hHJQrXlACDgwZidRp-qvlmFzmhxrPk8LQzFyEm/w320-h213/Top%205%20icon.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />It's the top five-iest time of the year. That's right, it's Top Fives week. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Every year, each Boswellian picks their five favorite books of the last 12 months. And every day this week, we'll post a blog with a roundup of Boswellian top 5 selections. These are our favoritest faves, our tippiest tops, our most-highly recommended books of the year. We've got an eclectic mix of books, so you're sure to find something for every reader you may find yourself shopping for this year - including yourself!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">First Boswellian up is Rachel Copeland. Here are her top 5 picks!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SiNHBUfPJjUsS9m05Cw_UwCcS1q6NqBBung4zhPj_1wEm7tB6_MvKB9JF9mZNUjDtU5ACZGnVMn2Vsw6CNxQCaJ-v8oEM4NR2tLPZ1scPNjL1k3sdGN1nEZNvDGlC4e86VYauX3vG2GUzzU2tGyhEsHsgF3UaYO9-IbR7Ed_j3c3fzyj0OCVtWgtY_9L/s957/Copeland%20Picks.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="957" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SiNHBUfPJjUsS9m05Cw_UwCcS1q6NqBBung4zhPj_1wEm7tB6_MvKB9JF9mZNUjDtU5ACZGnVMn2Vsw6CNxQCaJ-v8oEM4NR2tLPZ1scPNjL1k3sdGN1nEZNvDGlC4e86VYauX3vG2GUzzU2tGyhEsHsgF3UaYO9-IbR7Ed_j3c3fzyj0OCVtWgtY_9L/w400-h134/Copeland%20Picks.png" width="400" /></a></div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780765389220" target="_blank"><b>Starter Villain</b></a> by John Scalzi. From Rachel: "Divorced substitute teacher Charlie Fitzer doesn't expect anything when his estranged uncle Jake dies - even if he was a billionaire. So when he inherits what turns out to be his uncle's supervillain empire, he's more than a little nonplussed. And that's before he finds out that the admin department is composed of sentient cats. You won't have more fun this year than the time it takes you to read this gem."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780316592703" target="_blank"><b>The Stolen Heir</b></a> by Holly Black. Return to the opulent world of Elfhame, filled with intrigue, betrayal, and dangerous desires, with this first book of a captivating new duology. It's got a runaway queen, a reluctant prince, and a quest that may destroy them both. What more could you want?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780316463324" target="_blank"><b>These Burning Stars</b></a> by Bethany Jacobs. Rachel says: "A single coin holds a memory that could uncover the truth behind a genocide that nearly tore the galaxy-spanning empire apart decades ago. Three women pursue the memory. Jacobs plays these characters like an arpeggio, bouncing back and forth in time, adding layers upon layers until the shocking denouement. It’s a masterfully constructed story, with a twist so cleverly hidden that a second read is a necessity."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250788955" target="_blank"><b>A Power Unbound</b></a> by Freya Marske. Rachel says: "Greedy magicians plot to steal all of Britain's magic, and only a small group of misfits stand in their way. It's beyond normal human capacity to encapsulate the enormity of this power struggle, the treasure of this friend group built over the previous two books, and the scorching hot romance between two extremely unlikely people. So do yourself a favor and read all three books, then start a group chat with your friends so you can all-caps scream at each other about how Freya Marske has both ruined and saved your life."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250283788" target="_blank"><b>Hello Stranger</b></a> by Katherine Center. Rachel says: "After a seizure leads to brain surgery to repair the same congenital condition that killed her mother, portrait artist Sadie Montgomery can no longer see faces. Katherine Center does it again! She takes a condition that a surprising number of people cope with every day and turns it into a meditation on how we truly relate to each other - how do you recognize somebody, how can you trust your own instincts, when one major sense is taken away? You'll cry, you'll laugh, you might do a ton of research on prosopagnosia, and it's worth every minute."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div><br /></div><div>The next Boswellian with five picks is Tim McCarthy. His top 5 follows!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cHwl1lJF2N7LIWxqruVqyehZ7Mmc8kgF5nCvBCHChY56NgNH6EKVnCIk6E0CQ4lDsGi67iFqhnNC4goqBnbrmZNGC9QRdqpM4UIGPTiH2cJ9acevMy3VkMpSzil2mDzZdnWRSI49kBiuLjrWQWrM25Dff1bSaqoLz67HvYOAq1YHm6gNYfD2tyW8zL8G/s970/Tim%20Picks%202023.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="970" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cHwl1lJF2N7LIWxqruVqyehZ7Mmc8kgF5nCvBCHChY56NgNH6EKVnCIk6E0CQ4lDsGi67iFqhnNC4goqBnbrmZNGC9QRdqpM4UIGPTiH2cJ9acevMy3VkMpSzil2mDzZdnWRSI49kBiuLjrWQWrM25Dff1bSaqoLz67HvYOAq1YHm6gNYfD2tyW8zL8G/w400-h126/Tim%20Picks%202023.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780385545150" target="_blank"><b>Crook Manifesto</b></a> by Colson Whitehead. Tim says: "I don’t like to repeat myself with recommendations, but Whitehead makes it tough to avoid. So, what’s left to say? I’ll go ahead and repeat that past review one last time. This is greatness! I took my sweet time, savoring every literary morsel."</div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780802162021" target="_blank"><b>Prophet</b></a> by Helen MacDonald and Sin Blaché. Tim says: "How did these writers make a science fiction thriller with a military bent so much fun? I think it’s the freaky <i>X-Files</i>-style mystery that immediately jumps into play, combined with super-smart, snarky dialogue between convincing, entertaining characters. One operative is British (by way of India), and the other is American. They’re reminiscent of <i>Odd Couple</i> roommates with a complicated past who both love and hate each other in equal measure. After reading a bit of Helen Macdonald’s earlier writing, I’m surprised that she’s doing something so different. What doesn’t surprise me is the high level of intelligence. I’ve seen that before from her, and this bright collaboration with Blaché is every bit as impressive!"</div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780300244052" target="_blank"><b>The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History</b></a> by Ned Blackhawk. Tim says: "Blackhawk adds to a series of highly praised recent books on indigenous history by going beyond cultural perspectives to offer an objective and encompassing new look at America. ere we have a new foundation for history, showing how all aspects of America have been influenced by its complex Native-newcomer interface. I’m the grateful retired teacher who’s forever waking up to the ways our past defines our present. Blackhawk’s advanced scholarship and interpretation are enormous contributions to my quest. His elaborately documented accuracy satisfies beyond anything I’ve read in a career of teaching young children about American history."</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593307700" target="_blank"><b>Chaos Theory</b></a> by Nic Stone. Tim says: "I just don't know how Nic Stone does it. She writes with style and tenderness about the most painful aspects of being human. Now mix in snort-out-loud humor, sweet romance and high-powered intelligence! She's got me again. (And I don't read romance.) As usual, when I finish a Nic Stone novel the characters feel like a part of me. Stone does warn us that self-harm and suicide are discussed. She also tells us that she has her own brain-based diagnosis. It’s all the more reason I will follow her writing absolutely anywhere!"</div><div><br /></div><div>#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781338180633" target="_blank"><b>Big Tree</b></a> by Brian Selznick. Tim says: "Nothing else in children’s literature is quite like Brian Selznick's ability to weave words and pictures into tales of mystery and suspense. With <i>Big Tree</i>, Selznick takes a step beyond, giving us an elegant look at the depth, persistence, and beauty of nature, all guided by the wisdom of the universe. <i>Big Tree </i>implores us all to listen as one, a community of the living, and it’s a gift to us all, at a time when hope and courage are what we need most."</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div>And now we go to Conrad Silverberg, one of the original Boswellians, and truly an original himself. Here are his top 5.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMGa_UANUSEonKYa-a9sRX5pFcRbMJ_hM9UryAGkpvnMk1NPxQZCO9X0UYfIEe4RqKJMr-KdAQReBtuR_pZTbb5QdQqoaysQjws9gulrnEE3TzDrpXC9EH5cLVhhAcGR-sxxJjbD8eBL1a3kVF1Cbi2k-O8jVCLaz4SOt3M9rmGDrlJlUeuv3fg5yEDRW/s1057/CRAD%20PICKS%202023.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="1057" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMGa_UANUSEonKYa-a9sRX5pFcRbMJ_hM9UryAGkpvnMk1NPxQZCO9X0UYfIEe4RqKJMr-KdAQReBtuR_pZTbb5QdQqoaysQjws9gulrnEE3TzDrpXC9EH5cLVhhAcGR-sxxJjbD8eBL1a3kVF1Cbi2k-O8jVCLaz4SOt3M9rmGDrlJlUeuv3fg5yEDRW/w400-h116/CRAD%20PICKS%202023.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781685890209" target="_blank"><b>Slime: A Natural History</b></a> by Susanne Wedlich, translated by Ayca Turkoglu. This is a groundbreaking, witty, and eloquent exploration of slime that will leave you appreciating the nebulous and neglected sticky stuff that covers our world, inside and out. From <i>The Scientific American</i>: "Wedlich’s knack for unfolding these natural histories makes her book ooze with charm."</div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250781000" target="_blank"><b>Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think!</b></a> by Sarah Kendzior and Andrea Chalupa, illustrated by Kasia Babis. Co-hosts of the podcast <i>Gaslit Nation</i> outline the authoritarian's playbook, illuminating five steps every dictator needs to take to successfully amass and maintain power. Historian Timothy Snyder says: "Everyone who wants to grow up in a healthy democracy should know about <i>Gaslit Nation</i>."</div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781838666286" target="_blank"><b>The Indonesian Table</b></a> by Petty Pandean-Elliott. Award-winner Pandean-Elliott tells the story of her Indonesian heritage through 150 much-loved and delicious recipes perfect for home cooks everywhere. From <i>New York Journal of Books</i>: "If you’re already intrigued by Indonesian food traditions or looking to learn a new and unfamiliar style of cooking, The Indonesian Table is an excellent introduction."</div><div><br /></div><div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593243398" target="_blank"><b>Victory City</b></a> by Salman Rushdie. The epic tale of a woman who breathes a fantastical empire into existence, only to be consumed by it over the centuries, from the transcendent imagination of Booker Prize–winning author Rushdie. From <i>TIME</i>: "An astounding work of historical fiction and magical realism . . . With wonder and humor, Rushdie spins a decades-long tale about power, philosophy, justice, and exile that boldly confronts the issues modern societies still face."</div></div><div><br /></div><div>#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593535998" target="_blank"><b>The Ferguson Report: An Erasure</b></a><b> </b>by Nicole Sealey. A meditation on our times, cast through a reconsideration of the Justice Department's investigation of the Ferguson Police Department. Illuminating what it means to live in this frightening age, and what it means to bear witness, this is an engrossing meditation on one of the most important texts of our time.</div><div><br /></div><div>And now, Gao Her, the rec card magician, selects her top 5 picks of 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvly5mtOXI58bSZyAU7sYnjOA_i4O0coBZ7MGqBnYgsxzJVM7B2KVE2lqk0PNZyoj8ey_vfVnN-GfNdk4P2CD3ecySlRluZG3t70HJo2XNJEalnt40uKXnAq7MA8t9hV_IOPhOEy1grzsFZjtKyeiHxfqUvzDtpiCNmdkywsegKTcNx2QLIcDzlD_m22-/s1230/Gao%20Picks.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="1230" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvly5mtOXI58bSZyAU7sYnjOA_i4O0coBZ7MGqBnYgsxzJVM7B2KVE2lqk0PNZyoj8ey_vfVnN-GfNdk4P2CD3ecySlRluZG3t70HJo2XNJEalnt40uKXnAq7MA8t9hV_IOPhOEy1grzsFZjtKyeiHxfqUvzDtpiCNmdkywsegKTcNx2QLIcDzlD_m22-/w400-h106/Gao%20Picks.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>#1 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780062951847" target="_blank"><b>Tomb Sweeping</b></a> by Alexandra Chang. Gao says: "A beautiful collection of short stories that express the various emotional experiences between human beings. I found myself doing everything from reevaluating my own relationships (“A Visit”) to silently weeping in my car (“Li Fang”). It was as if all of my most inner thoughts were captured in this book, and while reading, those same thoughts were regurgitated onto the forefront of my mind."</div><div><br /></div><div>#2 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250838810" target="_blank"><b>The Lost Library</b></a> by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Maas. Stead and Maas tell the story of a little free library guarded by a cat and a boy who takes on the mystery it keeps. From <i>Booklist</i>: "Full of heart, sly narration, and Stead’s expected air of mystery, this is well suited for lovers of books and libraries and novels featuring ensemble casts."</div><div><br /></div><div>#3 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781877467707" target="_blank"><b>The Bear and the Wildcat</b></a> by Kazumi Yumoto, illustrated by Komako Sakai. This picture book with delicate illustrations explains the path of grief, ending with the uplifting new beginning of a budding friendship based on understanding. The starred <i>Kirkus </i>review says: "Quietly contemplative, mingling hope and healing, this is a book that will offer comfort to many."</div><div><br /></div><div>#4 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781982198480" target="_blank"><b>Elsewhere: Stories</b></a> by Yan Ge. Gao says: "Yan Ge transports you somewhere not entirely unknown. There is a veil of familiarity with her words. What you’ll personally find within these stories, I do not know. But, there is something here for everyone to discover. Something elsewhere."</div><div><br /></div><div>#5 <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781592703937" target="_blank"><b>Bunny and Tree</b></a> by Hungarian artist Balint Zsako. This illustrated masterpiece is a gorgeous wordless adventure story about a rabbit and a tree, their surprising friendship, and the distance they go to find a place to call home. A <i>New York Times </i>and New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book of 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>The blog will be back tomorrow with Part 2 of the top 5 roundup, so keep it tuned to this page for more.</div></div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-53102728157205627052023-11-27T14:07:00.000-08:002023-11-27T14:07:27.767-08:00Staff Recommendations, Week of November 28, 2023<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We've got two new books to recommend for you this week from the kids department - the YA and picture book shelves, to be specific.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgrctdB4Yu_0BNyDP3KWuggm0-3GZyEf3uTVFWogS4XsZzzS1Wp4ccfSaUblEVmZlbhu9YXrzQy-VyjShra9PglS9y5oPJmhANusA2x45nZHjfn9YpcuIWS2GBRz1uDV3qr539Mol5h56HYvU6rHg7pR0PiR86Hp5K7ku7WnrpYUCq3cVnw9-Q3i3ipIc-" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgrctdB4Yu_0BNyDP3KWuggm0-3GZyEf3uTVFWogS4XsZzzS1Wp4ccfSaUblEVmZlbhu9YXrzQy-VyjShra9PglS9y5oPJmhANusA2x45nZHjfn9YpcuIWS2GBRz1uDV3qr539Mol5h56HYvU6rHg7pR0PiR86Hp5K7ku7WnrpYUCq3cVnw9-Q3i3ipIc-=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div>First, from Oli Schmitz, it's a YA romance novel entitled <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250847218" target="_blank"><b>Gwen & Art Are Not in Love</b></a> by Lex Croucher, great for ages 14 and up. Oli says: "<i>Gwen & Art Are Not in Love</i> is a fun, campy, betrothed-enemies-to-allies romp in an alternate medieval England, full of witty banter and genuine emotion. Though grounded in a historical setting (an imagined, post-Arthurian Camelot), the story has a timeless coming-of-age feel, featuring two queer teenagers learning to navigate their place in the world. Lex Croucher infuses their characters' voices with modern language and humor, adding relatability and subtle commentary to the narrative. This is a perfect YA romcom, with romantic escapades, found family, and a heartwarming journey toward self-acceptance. I adore Gwen and Art!"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1WQFLUbMgMAoL8RRJYIxyVNMKNikQKlUqUcG3EhTzb1BlOwWw5x3y_IxNW152iUequYucK2tQvnS58aYZfnVNr8XBMbG1iGk14-JyB9rkRsJtosF79Cv6s9zocNlJVKCeqoaZW8WWQ_WqgYH7RcgBeJN-zBtngifUALM64ywC74upwii16ESgAGSh7iN1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="287" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1WQFLUbMgMAoL8RRJYIxyVNMKNikQKlUqUcG3EhTzb1BlOwWw5x3y_IxNW152iUequYucK2tQvnS58aYZfnVNr8XBMbG1iGk14-JyB9rkRsJtosF79Cv6s9zocNlJVKCeqoaZW8WWQ_WqgYH7RcgBeJN-zBtngifUALM64ywC74upwii16ESgAGSh7iN1=w143-h200" width="143" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">From Jen Steele, a recommendation for the picture book <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781782693581" target="_blank"><b>A Pack of Your Own</b></a>, written and illustrated by Maria Nilsson Thore, Maria Nilsson Thore and translated from the Swedish by Annie Prime. Great for ages 4 and up. Jen says: "I'm a sucker for doggie picture books so naturally I had to read <i>A Pack of Your Own</i>, and I'm so glad I did! It's a wonderful picture book about friendship with delightful illustrations. A perfect picture book to give that friend who matches your weird."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And those are the recs. We'll see you next time (in December, whoa!), and until then read on!</div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-50227087911738293612023-11-22T11:44:00.000-08:002023-11-22T12:09:42.415-08:00Staff Recommendations, Week of November 21, 2023<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">It's a quiet week for Boswellian-recommended new releases, so this blog will be a bit of a roundup of a couple of newer paperback releases and a few other recs that have slipped through the cracks.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjA-mwDdeyyphxGX5t7txfooAMrPv1sTD-OjteNW4YBmMMTINrKOIhvFNbqbsv8MDpDZDYi7p3QZi0euimr3lcVdfUkfafbq5zR3gWkA50CvYNm5xLuC92zX0KY8N0xA50ES7N7WzRYdLKom0yaqPf4NBIU8gmpQCuUqP-S5B0pOD78VnbFRBjtRicAT8Rh" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjA-mwDdeyyphxGX5t7txfooAMrPv1sTD-OjteNW4YBmMMTINrKOIhvFNbqbsv8MDpDZDYi7p3QZi0euimr3lcVdfUkfafbq5zR3gWkA50CvYNm5xLuC92zX0KY8N0xA50ES7N7WzRYdLKom0yaqPf4NBIU8gmpQCuUqP-S5B0pOD78VnbFRBjtRicAT8Rh=w131-h200" width="131" /></a></div>The first book of note getting a paperback release this week is Milwaukee writer and educator Ben Riggs's <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250819475" target="_blank"><b>Slaying the Dragon: A Secret History of Dungeons & Dragons</b></a>, which comes with two endorsments. First, from Jason Kennedy: "A good portion of my youth was spent playing<i> </i>D&D and reading Dragonlance and Forgetten Realms novels. I went to Gen Con and ate up all that was RPG culture at the time. Before reading this book, all I ever knew of TSR was their initials on the spines of their products. Ben Riggs has done a deep and extensive dive into TSR history, charting their beginnings in Gary Gygax's basement all the way to Wizards of the Coast rescuing their legacy with an epic buyout. He discovered that it was not just one mistake or symptom that caused the unraveling of the Lake Geneva gaming company but a series of them that over time trapped them in a corner with no way to free themselves. First, though, Riggs tells the story of the rise of TSR, how they broke ground and started something that people desperately wanted. Then TSR doubled down on their ingenuity to start a publishing book line to help deepen the lore of their products, which brought us some of the greatest writers in their genre and era. That small town in Wisconsin housed some of the greatest creatives and artists working in the gaming industry. Riggs does an amazing job of highlighting both the success and failure of one of the great iconic gaming companies."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div>And from non-gamer Daniel Goldin: "So here’s the thing. I’ve never played a game of <i>Dungeons & Dragons </i>in my life. And I’ve also already read <i>Of Dice and Men</i>, the D&D history that is the jumping-off point for this work, which promises to uncover some of the less-known dealings of Lake-Geneva-based TSR’s downfall. And yet I found <i>Slaying the Dragon</i> thoroughly enjoyable, partly because of the near-local setting, and partly because Riggs is a good storyteller who also highlights the corporate missteps in a way that I think will appeal to folks who read business narratives. And to think, Milwaukee finally has enough hotel rooms to keep GenCon, only 19 years too late."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXviopwua8zRAbzv79f8nRSS5oiWmXR090CT8J_jMtmwtV-d1Nq2ZlJcYWbwxzSPO4ToaOSasTIRGbU5EjmvJ-Sv4tnfBJyYPx6LgvqH-iez0r8TdUbhLrypzrj88cgWpEOMG4JMvOgiPuvDjxwbl5S7eRXT1hfo1VvGf5gjJCYrO4oh7-Vm55PDrb7L4G" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXviopwua8zRAbzv79f8nRSS5oiWmXR090CT8J_jMtmwtV-d1Nq2ZlJcYWbwxzSPO4ToaOSasTIRGbU5EjmvJ-Sv4tnfBJyYPx6LgvqH-iez0r8TdUbhLrypzrj88cgWpEOMG4JMvOgiPuvDjxwbl5S7eRXT1hfo1VvGf5gjJCYrO4oh7-Vm55PDrb7L4G=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>The paperback of Minnesota writer Peter Geye's latest novel came out last week. It's called <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781517913502" target="_blank"><b>The Ski Jumpers</b></a>, and it's recommended by Tim McCarthy, who says: "Families are held together in such unusual ways, and Johannes Bargaard has a family stretched so thin he hasn’t seen his beloved brother Anton for decades. Ski jumping is the one thread from their glory days that’s unbroken, but time is running out for Jon and Anton to do more than hide the frightening secrets that pushed them apart. Jon’s been told he has younger-onset Alzheimer’s and doesn’t know how long he’ll be able to trust his own mind or if he can finish writing one last successful novel. Their father’s funeral may be the only time left to fully uncover the bitter past. Geye gets the little details right as he brings his characters’ world to life, and his spectacular winter scenes of ski jumpers taking flight, from Chicago and throughout Minnesota to Madison and Lake Placid, surrounded me with a beautiful literary warmth. <i>The Ski Jumpers</i>, just as <i>Northernmost </i>did before it, will surely have me looking for Geye’s next book!"</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCJEGeQTsAucD3MbETuLtirc3Iht18Aibe7UHIzAo43eI0J0Iv7i1skYCqoh1-X1oOiCzORP7UAW5LQazHp3_hYFbqCaccdt447qnAUnvojNl8L45wvSKzIdiE6NG2kJXrNIzxfKQuTtbraDOPPXu-Ugo3Bd7be_w9QrBc8zfz6iBMSxWeMgLOtmyPNMvt" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCJEGeQTsAucD3MbETuLtirc3Iht18Aibe7UHIzAo43eI0J0Iv7i1skYCqoh1-X1oOiCzORP7UAW5LQazHp3_hYFbqCaccdt447qnAUnvojNl8L45wvSKzIdiE6NG2kJXrNIzxfKQuTtbraDOPPXu-Ugo3Bd7be_w9QrBc8zfz6iBMSxWeMgLOtmyPNMvt=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div>Tim also recommends a YA book entitled <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781338764581" target="_blank"><b>Murder, She Wrote: Carry My Secret To Your Grave</b></a> by Stephanie Kuehn. Tim says: "This is the second installment in a smart and savvy teen mystery series. Beatrice Fletcher is the great-grandniece of Jessica Fletcher, the ageless TV crime-solving hero of Cabot Cove, Maine’s <i>Murder, She Wrote</i>. Bea has serious anxiety issues, but she’s intense and curious enough to face a risk-filled world. Her psychiatrist helps her, “Aunt Jess” is still around to offer wise counsel, and her obsessive interest in the truth about crimes gives her the intensity. She’s been writing for a start-up web site about cold-case murders around Cabot Cove and has helped solve some cases. Now she's spending time with friends she met in the first book from the elite Broadmoor Academy. They play a cryptic century-old Broadmoor game known as tenace that promises a wonderous unknown prize but could be tied to the death of a former student who was close to them all. The terrifying death threats Bea’s getting make everything more bizarre. Bea is the creation of an author with teen children who's also a clinical psychologist. It shows. She sounds true to teen reality, and she’s also true to people who keep going despite their fear. I’m hooked on the series! Just like I was hooked on the TV show."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNGAu-shDCy6iCKM2K19TxyVQYTq68LybKdPdy9WDtxqJUOYcabNGuCMTuBCKAnFW15pcP3h9IRrpHh_T70We5QfLVph0cmmr8Q-LfqA-JVbTaVZ7NvQG_VN8k_ohcUwi6qyjGI1Ap_4wEtJoyHWiXCCmEAJjoAv1GosKCGoStMme-BA8SdVfCakjx5d9g" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="257" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNGAu-shDCy6iCKM2K19TxyVQYTq68LybKdPdy9WDtxqJUOYcabNGuCMTuBCKAnFW15pcP3h9IRrpHh_T70We5QfLVph0cmmr8Q-LfqA-JVbTaVZ7NvQG_VN8k_ohcUwi6qyjGI1Ap_4wEtJoyHWiXCCmEAJjoAv1GosKCGoStMme-BA8SdVfCakjx5d9g=w128-h200" width="128" /></a></div>One more recommendation has come in for the latest Freya Marske novel, <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250788955" target="_blank"><b>A Power Unbound</b></a>, this one from Oli Schmitz, who says: "In this glorious finale to the Last Binding trilogy, Freya Marske expertly expands on the threads of story, beloved characters, and intricacies of magic established in the first two books. Your favorite characters from <i>A Marvellous Light</i> and <i>A Restless Truth</i> have their moments to shine, and the two new POV characters will steal your heart all over again. While swept up in the larger plot of thwarting a conspiracy that threatens all the magicians of England, Alan and Jack must also confront their complicated histories… and the truly scorching romance that emerges between them. This series blew me away with its vivid, beautiful prose; an immersive third-person narrative voice that provides moments of deep emotion and wry humor by turns (and sometimes at once); and the flawless execution of a mixed-genre work of historical fantasy, queer romance, and mystery novel in each installment. I think this series will forever be a favorite of mine, and I highly recommend giving it the chance to become one of yours: meet Robin, Edwin, and Adelaide in <i>A Marvellous Light</i>; follow Violet and Maude as the plot thickens in <i>A Restless Truth</i>; and finish the story with heists, found family, and an epic conclusion in <i>A Power Unbound</i>."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj99sVMKH5cvZRFMKxiITon7bt3cjaxCQo7qO48vofNnj3xOSDZjaAa6GMShHrn-SVEwKu3tJMJl-xLfkKJmGK4h-v3Zty5esDctaaVHlr5oP1rjPIobl51Pm9k9r3MsvWRDCzeF7H7RTmwMGCAnQ8mxgdz7s0V3krQIYzkhWjN3-VsnoZN7t2lTzZ2QHkw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="275" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj99sVMKH5cvZRFMKxiITon7bt3cjaxCQo7qO48vofNnj3xOSDZjaAa6GMShHrn-SVEwKu3tJMJl-xLfkKJmGK4h-v3Zty5esDctaaVHlr5oP1rjPIobl51Pm9k9r3MsvWRDCzeF7H7RTmwMGCAnQ8mxgdz7s0V3krQIYzkhWjN3-VsnoZN7t2lTzZ2QHkw=w138-h200" width="138" /></a></div>Speaking of Oli, here's their rec for <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593182260" target="_blank"><b>The Moth Keeper</b></a>, a graphic novel by K O'Neill that came out this spring but gets the recommendation treatment now. Oli says: "<i>The Moth Keeper</i> is a lovely and magical graphic novel with a meaningful story of responsibility, community, and support. Young Anya takes on an important job in her community and must learn to accept help from others when it begins to take a toll on her. O’Neill’s beautiful illustrations highlight the stunning natural beauty of the desert, and the heartwarming comfort of a village where folks care for one another."</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEich3uRfjew78HhCwLJ6d-hNbIQUiBtvg6Ujn7KTUDs25zGyMfcUBMCW3FLTHh-Qx8Mq5bo8Wgba3qbpsJAIQawOtzLQSV7lcLvvaxueRC9LkEd54fomoJ7CxPfON1npAsCKnJs1SfjGtUFxxoSAmmPtw1-fohOOiMD5zVaqvNEjnDsMP8dwjYBN8-hxT3I" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEich3uRfjew78HhCwLJ6d-hNbIQUiBtvg6Ujn7KTUDs25zGyMfcUBMCW3FLTHh-Qx8Mq5bo8Wgba3qbpsJAIQawOtzLQSV7lcLvvaxueRC9LkEd54fomoJ7CxPfON1npAsCKnJs1SfjGtUFxxoSAmmPtw1-fohOOiMD5zVaqvNEjnDsMP8dwjYBN8-hxT3I=w131-h200" width="131" /></a></div><div>The last recommendation comes from Kathy Herbst, who suggests a story collection released earlier this fall by Yiyun Li. The collection is <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780374606374" target="_blank"><b>Wednesday's Child</b></a> and the word from Kathy is this: "Beautifully written short stories of people experiencing heartbreaking loss and struggling to move through grief to acceptance. In each story, Li 's underlying message is the importance of connections between and among people and the surprising places and ways those connections are found."</div><div><br /></div><div>And those are the recs! We do hope you've found something to keep you reading through the Thanksgiving break. So then - read on!</div></div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-9317235377060998922023-11-13T15:19:00.000-08:002023-11-13T15:19:53.945-08:00Staff Recommendation, Week of November 14, 2023<div style="text-align: left;"> There were so many books out last week that we barely kept up with the rest of the month reviewing and recommending them! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjztCSJdQLM3oktXP7p89BBRWj_ypR942SliraSm7AiWhYlVW-OIbjGGITyUF3UMid7o4Gf2vOeRoxZzz_ng8tnGdACbT8uTSiWVamWZUiKRrpEE4Mo1_D47IM6I_Wd-hJCrJ2G45xKmzDeKXWFAQbgIIUQlTFYBfMYWEybaTvCaFaUsoId8TBLZlwYZVKy" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="250" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjztCSJdQLM3oktXP7p89BBRWj_ypR942SliraSm7AiWhYlVW-OIbjGGITyUF3UMid7o4Gf2vOeRoxZzz_ng8tnGdACbT8uTSiWVamWZUiKRrpEE4Mo1_D47IM6I_Wd-hJCrJ2G45xKmzDeKXWFAQbgIIUQlTFYBfMYWEybaTvCaFaUsoId8TBLZlwYZVKy=w125-h200" width="125" /></a></div>That's okay, because we've got one doozie of a rec for you this week from Rachel Ross, who suggests checking out the latest Murderbot Diaries novel by Martha Wells. That would be <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250826978" target="_blank"><b>System Collapse</b></a>, and of it Rachel says: "Everyone’s favorite Murderbot is back following the events of <i>Network Effect</i>. However, this time something is a bit… off about them. This entry finds Murderbot dealing with the emotional fallout of events from their recent and not-so-recent past as they tackle a rapidly compounding series of issues alongside the gaggle of humans and bots they can’t help but feel a bit (over)protective of. As always, Wells’ characters shine with wit and tenacity while remaining grounded in relatability. <i>System Collapse </i>is snappy, irreverent, and satisfying."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgP5DApXZISEvHJlyhj7bJNC7aXdjKyH94J8_ELcc4l8Yi3w1wlnzp422s_jZi1fYXYyBPoyCzKWrKrXYrPTXvyd6XMW1581j7vBmW57np7BSkksWPu3kvraKDWhnCF1uRoAPkrzWlCPIA71xM9bhJ8oaKFE-UheqPN77YMNyuUOQE6A08_b0gM3pCYw4-k" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgP5DApXZISEvHJlyhj7bJNC7aXdjKyH94J8_ELcc4l8Yi3w1wlnzp422s_jZi1fYXYyBPoyCzKWrKrXYrPTXvyd6XMW1581j7vBmW57np7BSkksWPu3kvraKDWhnCF1uRoAPkrzWlCPIA71xM9bhJ8oaKFE-UheqPN77YMNyuUOQE6A08_b0gM3pCYw4-k=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div>There's one paperback release this week that has two staff recommendations, too! That is <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593447833" target="_blank"><b>Sam</b></a>, the novel by Allegra Goodman. First, from Daniel Goldin: "Even if you’ve read Allegra Goodman before, you’ve never read a novel like <i>Sam</i>. It’s told completely from her perspective, keeping just the amount of distance you might expect from an adolescent who values her privacy. With any number of childhood setbacks, Sam’s seminal years leave her insecure at best and entering adulthood with any number of missteps. It’s rock climbing that gives her a sense of purpose, and while it doesn’t take her where she wants to go, it does lead to unseen paths - she just needs to find the right footholds. Quiet but powerful."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And from Kathy Herbst: "A coming-of-age story told from the perspective of Sam, who is seven years old when we meet her. She loves her father fiercely, though he is highly undependable, and struggles with her mother, who has primary responsibility for her two children. When she discovers rock climbing, all of her energy goes into perfecting her skills at the expense of most everything else in her life. Sam's journey to adulthood is engrossing, and this book is filled with deeply felt reflections on growing up, parenting, and the power of dreams."</div><div><br /></div><div>We hosted a great virtual event with Allegra Goodman for this book when it originally arrived in hardcover early this past winter. What a great conversation! Click the video below to watch that.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zDGxWoDt-L8" width="320" youtube-src-id="zDGxWoDt-L8"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Those are the recs! We'll see you soon, and until we recommend again, read on!</div><br /><div><br /></div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-75241553209929388882023-11-08T13:23:00.009-08:002023-11-08T13:23:52.644-08:00Staff Recommendations, Week of November 7, 2023<div style="text-align: left;"> So, so, so many books to recommend this week!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpv0IupRJtYwRu5jNgYd5cxQJlyd_KVRM4NKvTA_S0hSsoWiq4Jw9hc5up6xGn8lZf6wx9YEYFuUDl3Uo9ncYgTwQViEN49qm9XlHzxcYQqigLmDVbqYpZk3BFs6GbhlRq9WuHtuuYBKCgIvwff9nMTxjoooBSWVb9FZN0vyR-tyQRq2CQM6R7BibY5ClG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpv0IupRJtYwRu5jNgYd5cxQJlyd_KVRM4NKvTA_S0hSsoWiq4Jw9hc5up6xGn8lZf6wx9YEYFuUDl3Uo9ncYgTwQViEN49qm9XlHzxcYQqigLmDVbqYpZk3BFs6GbhlRq9WuHtuuYBKCgIvwff9nMTxjoooBSWVb9FZN0vyR-tyQRq2CQM6R7BibY5ClG=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Daniel recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781635575934" target="_blank"><b>The Core of an Onion: Peeling the Rarest Common Food—Featuring More Than 100 Historical Recipes</b></a> by Mark Kurlansky: "What makes a person read 200 pages on an onion? Perhaps I’m not one to ask, as my bookshelves have featured books celebrating bananas and orange juice. Kurlansky himself has tackled salt, milk, oysters, and Hank Greenberg (not for consumption). His latest offers a round-the-world tour of the onion, chronicling so many of the ways we have roasted, boiled, sauteed, sauced, and caramelized this variety of allium. Want to reduce tearing? Refrigerate it. It also helps to run the sink while you’re cutting as it redirects the sulfur away from your tear ducts and towards the water. Who knew? As someone who grimaced when his father would bite into an onion like an apple (hey, I’m only second gen!), I could say there was no grimacing here, and no crying either – just tears of delight from reading a thoroughly enjoyable book."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsqdyjRiHri5sVc2caqhshqGNsK3CGKVJRvcVNLpBPrJqX8cRtRkseB27KiuXYF8Ymz5WURknNszeYSNO_LHA6pi7I90gXZHvfLDT74cteISKzqiuKuSwEYcVBhpWdjyPhslyA40aMPf4Py6MPvABT-YaZaD4dmqtc51p6zdvCSD8RFGyyMBmWLk98d49_" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsqdyjRiHri5sVc2caqhshqGNsK3CGKVJRvcVNLpBPrJqX8cRtRkseB27KiuXYF8Ymz5WURknNszeYSNO_LHA6pi7I90gXZHvfLDT74cteISKzqiuKuSwEYcVBhpWdjyPhslyA40aMPf4Py6MPvABT-YaZaD4dmqtc51p6zdvCSD8RFGyyMBmWLk98d49_=w130-h200" width="130" /></a></div>Daniel also recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593470510" target="_blank"><b>Twilight Falls</b></a>, the latest Shady Hollow mystery from Juneau Black: "A family dispute leads to a tragic event at Twilight Falls and sure enough, reporter Vera Vixen (she’s a fox) happens to be on a picnic date with Chief of Police Orville Braun (he’s a bear). The trouble started with Stacia von Beaverpelt (she’s a beaver, and a wealthy one at that) who fell for Jonah Atwater (an otter) when the Atwaters were contracted for some home repairs. It is hard to believe that two species would not get along in the very special animal kingdom of Shady Hollow, but that’s the case for beavers and otters – they just don’t see nose to nose on damming waterways. And what about Muriel, the new-in-town hedgehog with a mysterious past and a flare for popcorn? The latest from Juneau Black is cozy-rific, with charming characters, delectable treats from The Bamboo Patch and Joe’s Mug, and at the center, a gently humorous mystery that should please all ages."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHpdODDuLe4qWXx8PPOBTPe5S6EzKdTSD0gQbNlv_M6Qfg09pkyUEucscBPFrmG-KLsrbOkvJ-arr10vT-i6hL5yN02imGxUVyuhgKIVCkBOxBJl68q1rLFxlAGMVnPw6pIALcvF7JmTORnibGIjH4MWWcaORh3nKgKQ1Vj5u8x8ortrVKh-8ghyX7HD3C" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="257" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHpdODDuLe4qWXx8PPOBTPe5S6EzKdTSD0gQbNlv_M6Qfg09pkyUEucscBPFrmG-KLsrbOkvJ-arr10vT-i6hL5yN02imGxUVyuhgKIVCkBOxBJl68q1rLFxlAGMVnPw6pIALcvF7JmTORnibGIjH4MWWcaORh3nKgKQ1Vj5u8x8ortrVKh-8ghyX7HD3C=w128-h200" width="128" /></a></div>The Rachels both recommend <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250788955" target="_blank"><b>A Power Unbound</b></a> by Freya Marske. From Rachel Copeland: "Greedy magicians plot to steal all of Britain's magic, and only a small group of misfits stand in their way. Honestly, it's impossible to summarize the third and final book in the Last Binding trilogy without spoiling it and sounding like a crazy person. It's beyond normal human capacity to encapsulate the enormity of this power struggle, the treasure of this friend group built over the previous two books, and the scorching hot romance between two extremely unlikely people. So do yourself a favor and read all three books, then start a group chat with your friends so you can all-caps scream at each other about how Freya Marske has both ruined and saved your life."</div><div><br /></div><div>And from Rachel Ross: "Marske masterfully concludes her Last Binding Trilogy with <i>A Power Unbound</i>. Following another shift in character perspective, long-held secrets are finally revealed, relationships are deepened, and all hell breaks loose. It was immensely satisfying to watch all of our underdogs coalesce rather violently into an unstoppable team against the dangers arrayed against them. Somehow, my least favorite character from book one became my favorite of the entire series. Alternating hits of searing spice with tender emotional beats, this is everything you could want from a final volume, leaving you with possibly the worst book hangover of your life (in the best way)."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHE2M_WsONYFVkpSwrxkfqAGnRuYJU2sfu7TVAlEQOiQL7j-tsOKZlEGqKQ4Bq-ZRXsp0Du-_SzcdiTBDBDcUaOao7k4BtimbwNfEgS9KcdmiloCw-6MJW4pTmqjEeJgPnwWdjiQBUu0m-ACnDgs3FLhOJg6CI8Fhr3B10vwBw9eHrudTqqtQOcIDTIPDv" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHE2M_WsONYFVkpSwrxkfqAGnRuYJU2sfu7TVAlEQOiQL7j-tsOKZlEGqKQ4Bq-ZRXsp0Du-_SzcdiTBDBDcUaOao7k4BtimbwNfEgS9KcdmiloCw-6MJW4pTmqjEeJgPnwWdjiQBUu0m-ACnDgs3FLhOJg6CI8Fhr3B10vwBw9eHrudTqqtQOcIDTIPDv=w130-h200" width="130" /></a></div>Rachel Ross and Jen Steele join forces to recommend <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250886101" target="_blank"><b>Bookshops & Bonedust</b></a>, the new Legends & Lattes book by Travis Baldree. First, from Jen Steele: "Fantasy world? Check. Books? Check. A smart-mouthed Gnome? Check. Adventure, romance, and humor? Check, check, check! <i>Bookshops & Bonedust</i> had everything I didn't know I wanted. A prequel to <i>Legends & Lattes </i>that can be read as a standalone, Travis Baldree packs a punch in this delightfully cozy fantasy."</div><div><div><br /></div><div>And from Rachel Ross" "Sidelined by a battle injury, stalwart orc Viv is forced to recuperate in a tiny seaside town. There she meets a mousey bookstore owner, spitfire gnome, dwarven baker, and a literal bag of (reanimated) bones. Baldree’s return to his realm of cozy fantasy is a quiet triumph, conveying beauty in the mundane, the joy of sharing a book together, and the sweet melancholy of how some people who only briefly pass through our lives can nevertheless be carried in our hearts for a lifetime."</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjp1N39da27H1exwElm2WJiFGA5UTcQnHZxTxpRqPm95BoUbBvY7bw4iT6KezmQE9CA2NXd1nDjKnb030dbt97Pf0eACHBdr__85g6gQBTyuk_Ysd8LPRtZ54zErSzq_bvT1Py-58aKmzJ634yRON3_A5hgqYV9w4gQ7Lp0gFscNS-3k16BU9haXEXWn4XY" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="320" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjp1N39da27H1exwElm2WJiFGA5UTcQnHZxTxpRqPm95BoUbBvY7bw4iT6KezmQE9CA2NXd1nDjKnb030dbt97Pf0eACHBdr__85g6gQBTyuk_Ysd8LPRtZ54zErSzq_bvT1Py-58aKmzJ634yRON3_A5hgqYV9w4gQ7Lp0gFscNS-3k16BU9haXEXWn4XY=w160-h200" width="160" /></a></div>Jen also recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781592704040" target="_blank"><b>The Magicians</b></a>, a graphic novel by Blexbolex, translated by Karin Snelson. Jen says: "<i>The Magicians</i> is a fantastical tale of magic and adventure, chaos and control. What would a world look like if there was no magic? An oversized graphic novel that reads like a fable and is packaged in the most dazzling way I’ve ever seen. French illustrator Blexbolex's latest is an impressive work of art that will make for a wonderful gift to be treasured."</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsaPPnicRGj0ARS-pW5Eaiuk9G5oFTZmvtzPBWerdh3hGn8h1cWUsX4xh6FA5cHVNFdbxppjN3KJYyU6jMsRLC2Z2tdqdvLuD3ICM6qOi4WF0n6Y4mVATib8bpqrEiB1kz4PMkkfHlCl543g_RqNjr8RprUjH9bl-OV9Rsf8-Oj-UEwZpeN7ig_cG6iwKr" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsaPPnicRGj0ARS-pW5Eaiuk9G5oFTZmvtzPBWerdh3hGn8h1cWUsX4xh6FA5cHVNFdbxppjN3KJYyU6jMsRLC2Z2tdqdvLuD3ICM6qOi4WF0n6Y4mVATib8bpqrEiB1kz4PMkkfHlCl543g_RqNjr8RprUjH9bl-OV9Rsf8-Oj-UEwZpeN7ig_cG6iwKr=w127-h200" width="127" /></a></div><div>Tim has three recs for us this week. First is <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780593715512" target="_blank"><b>The Vulnerables</b></a> by Sigrid Nunez: "It doesn't feel like a novel. It’s more like a memoir or a set of essays. It’s Nunez fulfilling a need for something more real than a traditional novel, powerful bits of life. I like the narrator's voice, quite a lot. She's perceptive, with a sharp wit, the kind that makes me burst out with a sudden, single laugh before she (with me tagging along) quickly moves on to the next bit. She's kind but unforgiving of nonsense, and the absurd COVID times have been full of nonsense. (Weren’t we, aren’t we, all vulnerables?) Love and hope are wonderful, but who's expecting any, and can they possibly prevail? She’s a writer, and her literary references are clever and telling. She’s tough. All good! There is no significant plot, just a woman’s very fascinating commentary and stories about friendships and funerals, lockdown parrot-sitting and our love of animals, an empty pandemic New York cityscape, hippies, Pandora’s Box, and mental health. I truly could not have cared less about plot. I kept listening to that voice as long as she kept telling it like it was."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYnwZRPk1df-qRwK1iu6WyYAwlG9wM-xtPStP0utHPveenRIDgnOVN54FKmbSJ_qMJd0jcPX5pjKTR_-pM3IA4VAXRWWSJtYt8GeJp1aIgXKOTqxfRmPrYU6q9p9lvXuTbyaWZUm8P-6Hw9Zfqj1UKPOXJQsA8rir7sJ7H6oAa4bEbH8sejB12vcVKzq7A" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="256" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYnwZRPk1df-qRwK1iu6WyYAwlG9wM-xtPStP0utHPveenRIDgnOVN54FKmbSJ_qMJd0jcPX5pjKTR_-pM3IA4VAXRWWSJtYt8GeJp1aIgXKOTqxfRmPrYU6q9p9lvXuTbyaWZUm8P-6Hw9Zfqj1UKPOXJQsA8rir7sJ7H6oAa4bEbH8sejB12vcVKzq7A=w128-h200" width="128" /></a></div>Next Tim recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780802161444" target="_blank"><b>Baumgartner</b></a> by Paul Auster: "This compact novel of love and loss and the unexpected details of life that come along for the ride is a testament to literary excellence. The astute, funny, and sometimes biting commentary of an aging philosophy professor tells the story. His loving memories of his exuberant wife, his grudging perseverance in continuing to live, and his very natural desire to keep loving in the face of pain all make him fully relatable to me. While I’m on about him being relatable, his middle name is Tecumseh because his “godless militant” father agreed with me that the indigenous Shawnee defender of his people is the greatest American who ever lived! I’m always relieved to find writing of Paul Auster’s caliber. There seems to be so little time in life to accept much less, and I’ve been given the Boswell booksellers’ gift of spending my personal reading time on any book I want that’s available to us. It’s a priceless gift, and I use it to find writing of Auster’s quality every chance I get."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsi6jm9h7myxmprWsh1gqldzqBL3AD0ReURwNI-DwqjGK2Ge3FdI4Rtfw9zm_5kejeQuMzbm4PxJOm2LCzxWwkI-mhBFtwVwej9WpyJFxJ6zGSVTAKM-yVVbKmbDJeXwjvH7DwmDE5BQf95YJnLTvcyAYt8xhWq_ShgE7JBh4R1BRsX6kbddynWzHnI6Wb" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsi6jm9h7myxmprWsh1gqldzqBL3AD0ReURwNI-DwqjGK2Ge3FdI4Rtfw9zm_5kejeQuMzbm4PxJOm2LCzxWwkI-mhBFtwVwej9WpyJFxJ6zGSVTAKM-yVVbKmbDJeXwjvH7DwmDE5BQf95YJnLTvcyAYt8xhWq_ShgE7JBh4R1BRsX6kbddynWzHnI6Wb=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Tim also recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781641294959" target="_blank"><b>Deus X</b></a>, the new August Snow mystery from Stephen Mack Jones: "August Snow doesn't mess around. He'll destroy you if you deserve it. He’s a Detroit ex-cop (didn't end well for the force) and Marine Lieutenant with two tours in Afghanistan. After a disturbing job helping his girlfriend's mother in Norway, the illness of an elderly neighbor has brought him home to a new crisis. He’s a practicing Catholic who says practicing hasn’t made him any better at it, but the church is no shield when it wrongs his people. Scapegoating a friend to hide church abuses doesn’t sit well, and Snow’s inclined to blow through secrets like a blizzard. (<i>Oh, hell yes, I went there!</i>) Still, he’s sophisticated, sort of a renaissance man with a tough, smart, no nonsense style. His commentary is fiendishly funny and highly insightful. His friends and neighbors are often crude but so damn lovable that hanging out with 'em was a joy. I'm far too sensitive for this crew, but hey, they’re fictional. Living in their world for a while is open to all. (Note: The bad language above is a litmus test. Do not read the book if it offends you.)"</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDNI1VEfNSKxfSs-OWo-enwrcSFbWVtZ-rK6zQuCzdE7x-ei-wf3TYpfheblt1d5OXEL-AznbHvWfBbJnvEK-YvpKFBlua78heB3zl-uFU6RaF_Vfpp47aO4GAcQle0OTUGqoA7DBT0mSoaV_iiAd57xs8E1uzJiO5FyoifuTM5E6IEtVbsoJtFQwZTSyE" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDNI1VEfNSKxfSs-OWo-enwrcSFbWVtZ-rK6zQuCzdE7x-ei-wf3TYpfheblt1d5OXEL-AznbHvWfBbJnvEK-YvpKFBlua78heB3zl-uFU6RaF_Vfpp47aO4GAcQle0OTUGqoA7DBT0mSoaV_iiAd57xs8E1uzJiO5FyoifuTM5E6IEtVbsoJtFQwZTSyE=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div>Kay has two recommendations this week. Her first is <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781771965859" target="_blank"><b>How to Build a Boat</b></a> by Elaine Feeney: "This is an insightful, sympathetic story about a highly intelligent autistic boy who can’t interact successfully with anyone other than Eoin (his dad) and Marie (grandma). The first day of high school is nearly a disaster, but Jaime is saved by a single attentive teacher. What begins as lunchtime entertainment for her soon becomes a mission to help Jaime learn the basic social skills needed to survive the rest of high school. She is joined by the new woodworking teacher. There are many ups and downs throughout the year, but by the last day of school, Jaime, while still awkward, has won over much of the student body. Cheers!"</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQKtCMJfrhDuS2ywaHyhvHYZdf3vFdJTIw634q-jBHyFKXOwi_kCqlCKFyy3i6qrQUlsD-3C-vDWq2gi3J1H0-y-pelUHSPRGXMvZFIbo3VPB9ynbHno4LE7-hUlNd-w5DYxCz-k-NgFSS3Pgn1toUVINcFCoUUK7u_kwioA_ohCQQ9zjOiZP8zgK1gLyC" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="242" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQKtCMJfrhDuS2ywaHyhvHYZdf3vFdJTIw634q-jBHyFKXOwi_kCqlCKFyy3i6qrQUlsD-3C-vDWq2gi3J1H0-y-pelUHSPRGXMvZFIbo3VPB9ynbHno4LE7-hUlNd-w5DYxCz-k-NgFSS3Pgn1toUVINcFCoUUK7u_kwioA_ohCQQ9zjOiZP8zgK1gLyC=w121-h200" width="121" /></a></div><div>Kay also recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781949641530" target="_blank"><b>Cross-Stitch</b></a> by Jazmina Barrera, translated by Christina Macsweeney: "Warning: this review is written by someone who is decidedly unhandy with needle and thread. Three girls become friends partly because of a shared interest in embroidery. They remain friends for a couple decades for many other reasons. When Mila can finally leave her husband and child for an extended time, they plan a trip to Paris. Not long after the trip, Mila and Dalia learn that Citali drowned in Senegal. Mila starts writing about their lives together. The stories are interspersed with excerpts from other authors about needlework, including: if women wrote history, the modern age would begin with the discovery of needle and thread; and, if men did embroidery, it would be considered an art, not a craft. I closed the book with a new respect for needle and thread, and I might even take another stab at using them!"</div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkdYI_lWnCp5H0n2kXsRz7bMmdVcH_qpk-TV3Z8FuSWW4ZaVWdkNhvuBogDkGTghjCwL4Kz-928UsfVRlLtnw2tRSvwbbc-gNP020tJb3djK_-2cSl2Qofwz5aeg9rrfFMNbr3SNXCvEqFFkrjyeZLXSjzxnEzYtNfurcxk7nQe9qE1_VmVeDBFfNBQeuu" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkdYI_lWnCp5H0n2kXsRz7bMmdVcH_qpk-TV3Z8FuSWW4ZaVWdkNhvuBogDkGTghjCwL4Kz-928UsfVRlLtnw2tRSvwbbc-gNP020tJb3djK_-2cSl2Qofwz5aeg9rrfFMNbr3SNXCvEqFFkrjyeZLXSjzxnEzYtNfurcxk7nQe9qE1_VmVeDBFfNBQeuu=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div>Jason now has two recommendations, the first of which is <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781984881724" target="_blank"><b>City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through?</b></a> by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith: "The Weinersmiths take a deep dive into the realm of space travel and colonization. They want to pump the breaks on the expectations of leaving a climate-ravaged Earth in hopes of a better future. We have forgotten to consider a couple of points that are necessary. One, space is not full of life, and it wants to kill us. Two, the human race still doesn't know enough to predict what will happen to prolonged living in space; that’s not even consider babies and future generations, though that's a serious issue to consider as well. There's the great emptiness and vacuum of space, solar radiation, inhospitable planets, plus the small living quarters that could lead you to annoying your fellow travelers. And, if that wasn't enough, even if we are able to conquer all the technological and health problems, then we will have to contend with laws and corporations fighting for control of land on these planets – and premium interplanetary land is scarce. This all seems like so much to complete in a short amount of time; it will probably take generations. This book is insightful and hilarious and will easily interest armchair science enthusiasts everywhere in the solar system."</div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCq0mi9EudaJy_4yyhbnJc-AouCDppCJwMX3_aqlAOkDxZsK08-IhS0jZQwX9EnyU-nQLyVt58SGQSdk3tH2Wil_jaV974bSNC75n6He3SQ_S85lmHxty8raquulWlCd7918xe9m-wbP5lwm5P8yGbYYyJU1SUwTcbjoyojcR0979VFql78Ra80xLYmJBo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCq0mi9EudaJy_4yyhbnJc-AouCDppCJwMX3_aqlAOkDxZsK08-IhS0jZQwX9EnyU-nQLyVt58SGQSdk3tH2Wil_jaV974bSNC75n6He3SQ_S85lmHxty8raquulWlCd7918xe9m-wbP5lwm5P8yGbYYyJU1SUwTcbjoyojcR0979VFql78Ra80xLYmJBo=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Jason also suggests you check out <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781668025680" target="_blank"><b>The Future</b></a> by Naomi Alderman: "Naomi Alderman writes a world of the near future on the brink of environmental cataclysm. Alderman ties together the good, the bad, and the ugly of social media platforms; the way they can manipulate and change the subconscious of the world at lightning speed is truly frightening. If the heads of those platforms don’t have the best intentions for the world in their ethos, then the world is truly doomed. Which is where this book takes place. At the beginning, three tech giants and their families are alerted that that a cataclysmic event is in the process of happening. They extract themselves and head to one of their bunkers to wait out the end of the world. Alderman then takes us back to show us all the behind-the-scenes action that happened before the lead up. It is a wild ride, and I wish that the outcome could happen to our world as well."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeETEKrLFo_ETzKiWO2gW2ITnwDXUM0f9j4sqT9irH62q7zdeA6YRbf43a0Ya4DnkNQ1IbntwZV_FjsaG0g0IDLe-jNke2n7LCFts9k148SLBEEHfdvaDlzVXaB4N0bFI8b7_GTvNP1T_vdQirpZf7FUgjekFuuYtT9xnUPUZgKH3nsAS6e-RVGfW9vd01" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeETEKrLFo_ETzKiWO2gW2ITnwDXUM0f9j4sqT9irH62q7zdeA6YRbf43a0Ya4DnkNQ1IbntwZV_FjsaG0g0IDLe-jNke2n7LCFts9k148SLBEEHfdvaDlzVXaB4N0bFI8b7_GTvNP1T_vdQirpZf7FUgjekFuuYtT9xnUPUZgKH3nsAS6e-RVGfW9vd01=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Now it's Greta, who recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780063330467" target="_blank"><b>The Happy Couple</b></a> by Naoise Dolan: "In Dolan's sophomore novel, <i>The Happy Couple</i>, the characters take precedence. It is centered around a newly engaged couple and the people in their wedding party. Celine, the bride, is hyper-fixated on playing the piano, in which she is classically trained. Luke, the groom, can't stop himself from being promiscuous and has slept with everyone in the wedding party. The writing style is similar to that of Sally Rooney (except Dolan uses quotations marks, when there is dialogue, unlike Rooney). Though the main cast of characters is unlikeable, they feel like real people, and they speak to the human condition where some readers might be able to relate to them. You'll want to find out what happens as it leads up to their happy day. The United States is lucky to get a release of this Irish gem."</div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZdIu1IZbxp16hu4nwnwBMkAFjShRzirqxpmKJwCJFCO9cAUF2Rx6WFMKQmpI5EXvDe4Qb81aEdu5HqUSGcoaKpD0WKlzp7w5pOWWRBzD1gFNWXFvZt8z1hhqOPlbJtialnixzuMy0AKkCubSgSSnTBDfCnGfzoG1z5KcHlcAx5Kvq0c_Q9Ql3f_Lyt0wB" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZdIu1IZbxp16hu4nwnwBMkAFjShRzirqxpmKJwCJFCO9cAUF2Rx6WFMKQmpI5EXvDe4Qb81aEdu5HqUSGcoaKpD0WKlzp7w5pOWWRBzD1gFNWXFvZt8z1hhqOPlbJtialnixzuMy0AKkCubSgSSnTBDfCnGfzoG1z5KcHlcAx5Kvq0c_Q9Ql3f_Lyt0wB=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Finally, Jenny recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780316524773" target="_blank"><b>Emmett</b></a>, a YA retelling of Jane Austen's <i>Emma </i>by LC Rosen: "The wit of the original fills this contemporary and queer YA retelling of <i>Emma</i>, and like Austen's <i>Emma</i>, Emmett’s cluelessness about love makes for an irresistible read. He’s quite earnest in his quest to make the world a better place though, and to Emmett that means volunteering at a soup kitchen, running the winter carnival at his high school, and trying to set up all his friends (and even his current fling) with boyfriends. But for Emmett himself, it’s ‘no thanks’ to love or romance, because that might lead to loss and therefore the misery he’s watching his dad go through. Like Emma, Emmett’s own judgey demeanor is invisible to him, and I both laughed out loud and winced more than once at his conviction that he’s absolutely right about absolutely everything. But who doesn’t love a flawed protagonist? I certainly do, and Emmett, both the book and the boy, completely charmed me."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2AdQarkPYVD-Z-IPpKEwPjFdN0acXho5kVG0PiitmVZi-eqxnEsxIHxvppN7wfZ8cS5mKE1UWX-06kEy0oyolzCHmaMwZXtoNyDZ1Kh_O0kVb1D_fGfCErfXiRbnjhGnEfkaGeY_nuJIKn-OVn-dOXLPhPThakSdfx7I303e5FmOurLL065FUGei6ObOw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2AdQarkPYVD-Z-IPpKEwPjFdN0acXho5kVG0PiitmVZi-eqxnEsxIHxvppN7wfZ8cS5mKE1UWX-06kEy0oyolzCHmaMwZXtoNyDZ1Kh_O0kVb1D_fGfCErfXiRbnjhGnEfkaGeY_nuJIKn-OVn-dOXLPhPThakSdfx7I303e5FmOurLL065FUGei6ObOw=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>And one paperback pick comes from Chris, Kay, and Jason! That'd be <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781982123109" target="_blank"><b>The Deluge</b></a> by Stephen Markley. From Chris: "This book is written like a (rising) ocean, wave after wave of moments and years and ideas crashing one after the other, relentlessly eroding the shores. An epic peopled with characters as real as any person you know, who’ll fill you up with hope and heartbreak. A feast of a book."</div><div><br /></div><div>From Kay: "Anyone interested in climate change fiction covering the near future (~now to 2040) won’t find a more informative, deep-dive novel than <i>The Deluge</i>. Thrilling, terrifying, maddening, and occasionally hopeful, you won’t be quite the same when you finish the book."</div><div><br /></div><div>And from Jason: "I wish I could call this book a post-apocalyptic or dystopian novel, but unfortunately it’s all too real and grounded in the world we live in. We have climate change and disasters, political strife and corruption, economic disparities, and population displacements. Stephen Markley weaves together about 10 different characters living in the upheaval of America from 2004-2040. Everything we are experiencing now - the wealthy and politicians blocking environmental regulation and carbon impact and beyond - happens in this book. Markley, sadly, quite accurately imagines us handling these very real cataclysmic issues. I found it very true to the nature of humanity, as I believe in the best and the worst of most people, and Markley followed the logical path. Such a gripping and phenomenal read, I absolutely loved it!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Whoa! That's a lotta books! Hopefully it's plenty to keep you reading until the next blog appears. Until then, read on.</div></div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3424881563665622626.post-49950333207587129212023-11-08T11:34:00.001-08:002023-11-08T11:34:58.127-08:00Staff Recommendations, Week of October 31, 2023<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Happy Halloween. Here on the blog, it's book-o-ween. These are the staff recs.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgawbwx99YB1pcrSxIzRiNsm_9P6ZDfLydQKsPN2qvEdpHH-ycmIqTfA62h92tGup0DALBnOoSvVx8t5sa6E3N5orPFfdplF9QGmXrWkYNWICI1MmsDcZup1jorDBNLn-HX24Yft5iWcUnpyl6Gj7eMgHYyZoVxoj1DC3kaQnK2lmp47xSnY6JgzTu4oAHm" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgawbwx99YB1pcrSxIzRiNsm_9P6ZDfLydQKsPN2qvEdpHH-ycmIqTfA62h92tGup0DALBnOoSvVx8t5sa6E3N5orPFfdplF9QGmXrWkYNWICI1MmsDcZup1jorDBNLn-HX24Yft5iWcUnpyl6Gj7eMgHYyZoVxoj1DC3kaQnK2lmp47xSnY6JgzTu4oAHm=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div>First it's the Fonz himself (not to be confused with his local bronze Doppelgänger), Henry Winkler, with a memoir entitled <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9781250888099" target="_blank"><b>Being Henry: The Fonz... and Beyond</b></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">From Daniel Goldin: "After reading <i>Being Henry</i>, I can only feel bad that the publisher decided to put The Fonz in the subtitle. Winkler’s been running from the typecasting for most of his career, and one would have hoped that given the success of his third act, with his recent Emmy for <i>Barry</i>, his beloved work in <i>Arrested Development</i>, <i>Parks and Recreation</i>,<i> Children’s Hospital</i>, and much more behind the scenes (did you know that he was a producer of <i>MacGyver</i>?) that people would know who he was without a prompt. Discarded title? Probably was <i>I’m Glad My Parents Died</i>, but that was already taken. That said, this is a most enjoyable memoir, packed with anecdotes, and shining through with Winkler’s charm, passion, and often self-deprecating wit. I love how he gets starstruck by other celebrities. As he notes, he’s still just a kid inside."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And from Tim McCarthy: "Henry Winkler is a good story teller. He’s open about everything and everybody, and his story is close to my heart. I was just a bit younger than the fictional <i>Happy Days</i> high schoolers in 1974 when the show started, and I doubt I was the only young Milwaukee teen who felt a little bit safer just because Fonzie showed up in my living room. It’s an odd confession, I know, but true is true. Hearing the <i>Happy Days</i> backstory is fascinating, and it's just a start. From his parents escaping Hitler's Germany for New York, where they called Henry a dumb dog (in German) because he couldn't read (undiagnosed dyslexia), to the many fine roles he’s played beyond The Fonz, the man has struggled through many difficulties and doubts but always felt an intense need to perform. He created characters at his parents’ parties, also on busses, and in so many plays, shows and films, where he’s always been recognized as a talented actor. He’s a good guy, too — kinder to everyone else perhaps than he is to himself. There's a bronze statue of The Fonz in my home town, and I’m happy to say that I have golden memories of Henry Winkler in my thoughts."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2zXHrV_MxXAFkYgZxoAGTA6LY0vwYSGRJT2jhBJTOlkmDWq-wjhmro7HbUiNHAhNKWNSqUV4Duu3a3yIpZQZhpUpn613ji_Be42PMBaS1W10rvK2cPXqdpjYXU0JOBm8ZEToLH2pSRJbRrd535sgtQRBYQK24iua5D7sk-CMdd8ecrcILNaV7HoW__ZD5" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2zXHrV_MxXAFkYgZxoAGTA6LY0vwYSGRJT2jhBJTOlkmDWq-wjhmro7HbUiNHAhNKWNSqUV4Duu3a3yIpZQZhpUpn613ji_Be42PMBaS1W10rvK2cPXqdpjYXU0JOBm8ZEToLH2pSRJbRrd535sgtQRBYQK24iua5D7sk-CMdd8ecrcILNaV7HoW__ZD5=w131-h200" width="131" /></a></div>Daniel also recommends <a href="https://www.boswellbooks.com/book/9780374610487" target="_blank"><b>Absolution</b></a>, the new novel by Alice McDermott. Daniel says: "I am a huge Alice McDermott fan, having read all her published novels, and I can say that her latest expands her canvas while staying completely true to her DNA. A conversation between two women leads to memories of the early days of America’s involvement with Vietnam. Tricia, the young wife of an American lawyer in Saigon, meets up, many years after the story, with the daughter of Charlene, the confident and somewhat manipulative friend who hooked Tricia into a fundraising scheme selling Barbie dolls (that’s right – an inadvertent tie-in to a pop phenomenon) in Vietnamese dress. McDemott has an unparalleled gift for small moments and details and is so insightful about the powerful bonds of relationships, whether marriage, family, friendship, or (remembering the period context of the story) servants. And as always, McDermott’s work is in context of a Catholic but not necessarily religious identity – I am afraid I never really understood that to some, the Vietnam War (or to Vietnamese, the American War) could be seen as a battle between the Catholic rulers and the Buddhist rebels, something that drives Tricia’s more devout husband. Sure to please fans (like me) while bringing new McDermott followers into the fold. Beautiful!"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Whoops, this got stuck in drafts! Alas. Well better late than never. Read on!</div>chrisoftheinterwebshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331249049528920098noreply@blogger.com0