“Paul Fischer does an exemplary job doing his research and making this book addictably readable. You've heard of Kim Jong-Il kidnapping people, but to the extent of what he did seem like an act of lunacy. Also, take in to consideration the painfully, slow process of acquiring western films to watch, and Kim Jong-Il appears to be a simple, insane son of a dictator. Nothing could be further from the truth. He used shrewd political moves to ensure his succession as the leader of the people by using anything he could lay his hands on; and that started with cinema of North Korea.” —Jason Kennedy
“Miss Queenie Hennessey is dying and she starts writing an extended letter that takes readers into the backstory of her relationship with former brewery colleague, Harold Fry, who is walking a 637 mile trek to see her, sending postcards along the way, asking her to 'wait for me.' Simultaneous quixotic journeys taken, one by foot along the open roads and one with a pen on paper from the confines of hospice, this gracefully written story reveals Queenie's life and what led to her sudden move away from Harold 20 years ago to the consolation of a sea garden cottage in the north of England. Confessional in tone, this compassionately written novel can be read as a companion to the Booker shortlisted title The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye or as a stand alone story of one woman's life filled with steadfast hope and selfless love. Destined to be one of my favorite books of 2015, this is storytelling at its best. I loved it!” —Jane Glaser
“Following the life of Ivoe Williams, founder and editor of Jam! On the Vine, the first female-owned and operated African American newspaper, this splendid novel is one southern African American family’s Jim Crow survival story, the rare bildungsroman of a budding female activist and entrepreneur, and the alluring love story between two disparate African American women. Jam on the Vine is written in such evocative prose with so much historical accuracy that you’ll feel like you’ve traveled back in time—yet so familiar that you’ll jump to answer the call to action still so relevant a century later. Not since Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God have I been as sweet on a book as I am on this lovely and much-needed debut novel!” —Mel Morrow
Etta and Otto and Russell and James,
by Emma Hooper [Adult Fiction]
“What a fantastic book to start the new year off with! Etta and Otto and Russell and James is
full of kind-hearted, lovable characters. Everyone has a journey they need to
take and at 83 years old Etta is finally taking hers. Leaving her husband Otto
a note saying she's gone to see the ocean and will try to remember to come
back, Etta sets off. She embarks on foot through the quiet farmland and dust
she meets new friends and becomes somewhat of a celebrity through the towns she
passes. Meanwhile, her husband Otto has been keeping himself busy trying out
his wife's recipes, getting a pet and getting a hobby that will attract the
attention of passerby. This book has heart & soul all over it. Pick it up
and meet Etta and Otto and Russell and
James. You'll be glad you did!” —Jen
Steele
“Traveling the Haworth moor of the Brönte sisters sets off a query between the author and a friend as to whether Jane Eyre or Catherine Earnshaw is to be the more admired heroine. Part memoir of growing up in an Iraqi-Jewish family and part literary commentary from an authorial perspective, readers will travel on a journey of self discovery focusing on the impact that the joy of reading has on shaping our lives, in all its fluidity. Among chapters revisiting the heroines of favorite books, as diverse as fairy tales’ The Little Mermaid, Jane Austen's Elizabeth Bennett, Margaret Mitchel's Scarlett O'Hara, E. M. Forster's Lucy Honeychurch, etc., the author culminates with a reflection of the tales of Scheherazade. Writers and readers alike will enjoy this multilayered examination for its honest and witty insights. For readers who enjoyed Rebecca Mead's nonfiction My Life in Middlemarch or Alan Bennett's fictional The Uncommon Reader, this is your next book! I was fascinated!” —Jane Glaser
“Dale
Wylie conjures a vast financial empire out of nothing as his brother Max
disappears into the unsettled west to hustle another kind of American Dream:
absolute freedom. The Hunger of the Wolf is the sumptuous tale of the
Wylie family across three generations, following Dale, his son George, and
former Alberta estate caretaker Jamie Cabot, who hopes to profit from
unleashing the eccentric family's deepest secret upon the final heir's
mysterious death. From the wilds of rural Canada to the urban jungle of
penthouse parties featuring Manhattan's elite, Stephen Marche treats readers to
a classic American adventure that's gossip column juicy, murder mystery
intriguing, fairy tale ethereal, and reveals the humanity in beastliness. This
book is sublime!” —Mel Morrow
“Every
Sunday after church CJ and his nana take the bus to the last stop on Market
Street. This Sunday however it's raining and CJ asks his nana why they don't
have a car, why are some places dirtier than others, how come a blind man can't
see. His Nana's responds by helping CJ see that there is beauty and kindness
all around him. ‘To feel the magic of the music.’ A heartwarming picture book
about a boy and his grandmother who shows him to see the beauty of the world
around him.”
—Jen Steele
“Offers
of money and new-job training cannot weaken Moses Sweetland’s connection to his
home, the island of Sweetland. As the rest of the island’s population readies
for relocation, Sweetland grips the island’s memories while battling with his
relatives and friends about why he must give up his way of life. Sweetland
knows he needs and wants connections to other people and creatures, though;
therefore, as the population shrinks, Sweetland cherishes his bonds with those
who also don’t care to leave: a friend’s dog and the devoted youth Jesse. Told
in two parts, one of resolve and one of grief and survival, Sweetland is never
so simple that the reader can think Moses Sweetland should have done one thing
over another to thrive.” —Todd Wellman
Emma: A Modern Retelling, by Alexander McCall Smith [Adult Fiction]
“Emma, one of Jane Austen's most admired novels, comes alive in the 21st century as part of the 2015 contribution to The Austen Project, which invites modern writers to rework the novels of one of the most infamous authors whose six titles are ageless in their popularity. Under the expert pen of celebrated author, McCall Smith, readers, including dedicated Janeites, will enjoy this entertaining retake of a classic that is endlessly yielding!” —Jane Glaser
Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an Addiction to Film, by Patton Oswalt [Film Biography]
“Most people have had some kind of an addiction or obsessive
hobby at some point in their life. For Patton Oswalt it was the silver
seduction of celluloid. For four years in the late 90’s, Patton Oswalt becomes
a ‘sprocket fiend’ at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles. He spends most of
his free time and thought on movies to see so he can check them off in one or
more of his 5 movie encyclopedias. But this is all for a higher purpose...to
become a director. Silver Screen Fiend
is funny, engaging, and filled with wonderful trivia (look up The Day the Clown Cried—he didn't make
that up!). Pick up Silver Screen Fiend
and not only will you learn about Patton's journey through the alternative
comedy scene, you might just feel the sprocket junkie itch yourself.” —Jen Steele
Emma: A Modern Retelling, by Alexander McCall Smith [Adult Fiction] “Emma, one of Jane Austen's most admired novels, comes alive in the 21st century as part of the 2015 contribution to The Austen Project, which invites modern writers to rework the novels of one of the most infamous authors whose six titles are ageless in their popularity. Under the expert pen of celebrated author, McCall Smith, readers, including dedicated Janeites, will enjoy this entertaining retake of a classic that is endlessly yielding!” —Jane Glaser
Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an Addiction to Film, by Patton Oswalt [Film Biography]
“At
the beginning of Matt Miller's senior year of high school, his mom dies of
cancer. Then his dad is involved in a horrific accident. Rather than sit alone
in his suddenly empty house, Matt takes a job at his neighbor's business: a
funeral home. A place where, suddenly, people seem to get it. It's a hard world
for young African-American men forced to grow up too fast, but in the realistic
Bed-Stuy of The Boy in the Black Suit, Jason Reynolds captures the myriad tiny
graces and acts of compassion that keep people going when the world seems
vicious and cold--the very things that make us believe in hope and love.” —Mel
Morrow
The Bookshop, by Penelope Fitzgerald [Adult Fiction] “When middle-aged widow Florence Green opens a bookshop in a small British town's abandoned building, she is met with a sudden challenge by the local patron who wishes to turn the Old House into an arts center. Provincial pettiness ramps up when the just published Nabakov's Lolita becomes the featured window display. First published in 1978 and shortlisted for the Booker award, this literary gem of a novella is being republished with an introduction by British writer David Nicholls. Following upon the Hermione Lee biography Penelope Fitzgerald: A Life, named as one of NYT's top ten books of 2014, the author is now receiving the well deserved recognition, posthumously, that she deserves. More reprints of her novels will soon be released with new introductions, but The Bookshop is my favorite for its elegant writing and thought provoking look at the power of money and class.” —Jane Glaser
“If
you find a strange glowing mushroom in your closet—like twin sisters Edith
& Kat did—you’d better get rid of it quick or risk losing precious artifacts.
If you're a landlady/Shakespearean actress like Vida, and happen to discover
the same glowing substance in your closet, you should call your insurance
company! Unfortunately for Vida, when she does alert her insurance company,
they consider the mold to be an ‘Act of God’ and refuse to cover the cost of
removal or repairs. Soon, this 'supermold' spreads all over the neighborhood
and everyone has to endure HAZMAT showers, eviction, and the loss of everything
they hold dear. Act of God is a delightfully dark comedy that shows us the
touching beauty to be found even during hard times.” —Jen
Steele
“Becky
Albertalli weaves a sweet mystery for higher school student Simon to solve: who
is the mysterious, flirtatious, emailing guy codenamed Blue who also goes to
Creekwood High? From page one, Albertalli also amply—and convincingly—heaps
other mysteries into Simon’s life: how can he stop a fellow student from
blackmailing him? Why don’t straight people have to come out as straight?
Should he tell his friends and family he’s gay? Simon relies on a mix of
authentic teenage voices, red herrings, and diverse characterizations to
inspire the reader to accompany Simon on his journey.” —Todd Wellman
Yeti and the Bird, by Nadia
Shireen [Picture Book]
“Yeti and the Bird
is about the biggest, hairiest, and loneliest Yeti in the forest. All of the
other animals are afraid of the Yeti because he is so big and hairy. Only one
little bird is not afraid of the Yeti. What begins with a THUNK! ends with lasting friendships. Written and wonderfully
illustrated by Nadia Shireen, Yeti and
the Bird is a great read aloud picture book for the whole family.” —Jen Steele
“Megan
is a mess. Her coworker, Jillian, is a hot mess. Both are depressed: the former
totally aware and using it as bridge-burning fuel; the latter so self-deluded
that any inkling of it bubbling to the surface is prayed away or written off as
low blood sugar. Oh--and they hate each other. Except that they really just
hate themselves for being so far behind on what they thought they should have
achieved in life by 24 and 35, respectively. Halle Butler's debut novel Jillian is a scathing depiction of
internalized patriarchal rhetoric. Readers sit within the heads of two women
who have bought into oppressive language: one who believes she is an unlikable,
crazy bitch, and the other who believes she is ever in need of rescue. This
book made my skin crawl, which is certainly one of the hallmarks of great
literature. Jillian is an
uncomfortable reality check for those curious about how the other half lives.” —Mel
Morrow
“What
do you do when your parents give you a most terrible terrible stuffed animal?
If you're Adam, you try to get rid of it. His parents don't understand. They
don't see Koala's terrible face & paws or the eyes that follow him
everywhere. Every day, Adam tries to get rid of koala, and every night koala is
back and too close to him. Until a stormy night then perhaps koala isn't the
most terrible terrible thing there is. A funny book with perfect illustrations
to show you just how terrible koala is. A must read for the whole family!” —Jen
Steele
“Björn is determined to make a good impression in his new
position at the Authority. He creates and adheres to a strict, efficient
routine, using his free time to catch up on only the most pertinent office
jargon and politics. On one of his scheduled breaks, he discovers a room in
which he feels more confident, focused, and efficient. Soon, his trips to the
room start to freak out his coworkers: to them, Björn is staring at the wall
for minutes on end. The office manager and a therapist are called on for a
resolution. Eventually, with the room’s help, Björn turns in exemplary work
that earns him a huge promotion, just as some of his coworkers start losing
their minds. The Room is a freaky,
savvy psychological novel that will destabilize you and lead to intense
philosophical debate—a great pick for book clubs!” —Mel Morrow
“Barry
reveals a Vietnamese people who are easy to imagine as characters in a
post-apocalyptic novel a la The Road—except the sting is that these are images
of people from our past, those who survived war and being carted about their
country. Spanning 30 years, the novel features an artful narrator who
poetically reveals the landscape while unwinding the life of Rabbit: daughter,
friend, lover, ghost-whisperer, and more to those around her. It’s easy to
revel in Barry’s language and story—lingering on description like it was
dessert, attending scenes that coalesce as footage of a life of endless
searching for what calls.” —Todd Wellman
“A young sculptor refuses to leave New York until he makes a
name for himself. Unfortunately, his name is David Smith: nothing special to
strangers, but infamous in the art world for betraying his benefactor. Rejected
from galleries, despised by critics, pitied by friends, kicked out of his
apartment, and nearly penniless, David makes a deal with Death. He has 200 days
to restore his name, trading the remainder of his life for a gift that makes
work faster and easier. And then he meets Meg. Scott McCloud's The Sculptor is a brilliant fable and
fraught love story reminiscent of Blankets
and A Christmas Carol, with twists
you won't see coming—a great read for those who want a high-stakes narrative,
be they comics neophyte, veteran, or any range in between.” —Mel Morrow
“Like most people, the older I get, the more I enjoy stories
that take me back to a time when I was young. This is the case in this debut
novel from Walsh, but there are many other reasons that I liked this book so
much. The events of the summer of 1989 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, are related
by a 14 year old boy. He, much like the rest of the boys in his neighborhood,
is in love with Lindy Simpson, the girl across the street. When Lindy is
violently raped one night by an unknown assailant, she, and the neighborhood,
are changed forever. The story centers on our narrator doing his best to find
the identity of Lindy’s attacker, but there is much more going on. A parent’s
hopes and fears for her child, high school survival, first love, lost
innocence, and the often difficult passage into adulthood. A fantastic offering
by an author that remembers what it is like to be a teenager, and allows the
reader to do so as well.” —Sharon Nagel
Boswellian Pam is really excited for the sequel to The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove, The Golden Specific, which is scheduled for publication on July 14, 2015.
And Boswellian Jane Glaser is currently reading--and loving--Anne Tyler's novel A Spool of Blue Thread, Aislinn Hunter's novel The World Before Us, and Emma Hooper's novel Etta and Otto and Russell and James.
