The Boswellians' Top 5 Books of 2022 - Part Four

 

So many top 5 picks!

Margaret Kennedy brings us romance and adventure for the holidays.

#1 Portrait of a Thief by Grace D Li. Margaret writes: "Compelling and personal, Grace D Li’s Portrait of a Thief tells the tale of five Chinese American college students as they confront the meaning of identity and attempt to pull off a heist that will shake the world. Will Chen, an art history major at Harvard, and four of his friends are offered a dangerous opportunity from a wealthy Chinese businesswoman - steal back art that was stolen from China, which western museums refuse to return. Li keeps the action rolling as the heist is pulled off and yet is able to explore each of the five friends’ motivations for agreeing to this lucrative deal. The characters are motivated by their place in the Chinese American diaspora, yet each has their own complicated relationship with their heritage. As the children of immigrants or immigrants themselves, they grapple between what is expected of them and what they want as the try to do the impossible and shape history in the process."

#2 A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland makes its second appearance on the Boswell top 5 blogs. Margaret doesn't have a write-up for us, so let's go with the Indie Next bookseller quote, from Katie Elms, Bookbug, Kalamazoo, MI: "A sizzling romance that had me on the edge of my seat! Kadou and Evemer are compelling and their world is full of delightful intrigue. Themes of fealty, forgiveness, and the true value of things make this an unforgettable adventure."

#3 A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin. From People magazine: "Bridgerton fans will swoon over this entertaining romp through Britain’s Regency-era high society." Yes, I also have noticed how often I've found myself using pull quotes from People in the past year. Kudos to their book reviewing staff writers, who are really, really good and writing snappy one-liners about books. This debut follows the adventures of an entirely unconventional heroine who throws herself into the London Season to find a wealthy husband.  But the last thing she expects is to find love.

#4 Red, White & Royal Blue: Collector's Edition by Casey McQuiston. We do, indeed, allow top 5 throwbacks for special editions, and this one is particularly special to Margaret. The special hardcover edition of McQuiston's beloved New York Times bestselling novel, featuring illustrated endpapers, an all new Henry-POV chapter, and more. When the book was originally released in 2019, it was selected as a best book by: Vogue, Vanity Fair, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, BookPage, Kirkus, Library Journal, Shelf Awareness, and She Reads. Wow, right?

#5 A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall. This is lush, sweeping queer historical romance that's perfect for Bridgerton fans. From the starred PW review: "The period banter is unparalleled as Hall pulls his characters out of the drawing room and into far closer quarters. He explores difficult subjects with a sharpness matched only by the tenderness underpinning the relationship between Viola and Gracewood. Fans of Lisa Kleypas and anyone looking for romance centering trans characters owe it to themselves to check this out."

Next bookseller on the list is Kay Wosewick, one of our most prolific book recommenders. 

#1 The Alpha Female Wolf: The Fierce Legacy of Yellowstone's 06  by  Rick McIntyre. Kay writes: "This is McIntyre’s fourth book documenting the return of wolves to Yellowstone. Female 06 is unusual from the start: she leaves her natal pack when very young, lives alone for several years, and snubs many suitors. Eventually she chooses brothers 754 and 755 to settle down with, another unusual, yet auspicious, decision. Fierce, fast, fair, and famous, 06 is the epitome of a female alpha wolf. You will fall in love. McIntyre’s series is unparalleled. Why? McIntyre went out every single day for 15 consecutive years to document the wolves. WOW. Just WOW."

#2 What We Fed to the Manticore by Talia Lakshmi Kolluri. Kay says: "Each story in this collection is a unique gem. Told from animals’ points-of-view, the narrators include a donkey, tiger, vulture, and fox, a rhino keeper’s dog, a sled dog, whale, wolf, and a pigeon. Joy, fear, curiosity, confusion, willfulness, and denial are among the feelings and thoughts revealed by the narrators. Read the stories one at a time. You might find yourself inside another creature’s mind… all on your own."

#3 Nature's Wild Ideas: How the Natural World Is Inspiring Scientific Innovation by Kristy Hamilton. Here's Kay's take: "Biomimicry is a simple idea: take inspiration from nature to solve human problems. Putting it into action? Well, that’s not so simple. Hamilton describes a baker’s dozen of biomimicry projects, each in a different field of study, each with its unique source of inspiration. Three of the sources are human bones, reptile spit, and pomegranates. Curious? Hamilton’s writing is very accessible, and this book will sate anyone’s curiosity."

#4 The Dolphin House by Audrey Schulman. Kay's recommendation: "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."

#5 Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty. Its second appearance in the top 5s. Kay says: "Gunty’s daring, bold, and brilliant debut will shake you, shock you, make you laugh, maybe make you cry, and keep you riveted to the very last page. It takes place in a once-thriving, now decaying industrial Midwestern town. Most residents are decaying with the town, but Blandine’s internal volcano is about to erupt and shake the town. Stunning."

We wrap up today's top 5-ing with Madi Hill.

#1 Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries by Rick Emerson. Madi writes: "Unmask Alice by Rick Emerson is a debunking of the infamous “real life” diaries that began with Go Ask Alice and the woman that was responsible for their creation. While the title alludes to the more recognizable Alice journal, Emerson spends more attention on its successor, Jay's Journal, that was one of the largest powder kegs to set off the Satanic Panic. After a Utah teen commits suicide, his mother turned to Alice author Beatrice Sparks to spread awareness of teen suicide and the need to focus on mental health, but instead, she created a false diary which became a smear campaign that destroyed the teen's family. This is the true story behind a relentless fraudster who was desperate for recognition and used falsehoods and fear to get it. Unmask Alice is the perfect read for the casual true crime reader that prefers to avoid the gory details. Just remember to check your sources."

#2 Acne: A Memoir by Laura Chinn. Madi says: "Acne is Chinn's story of growing up with divorced Scientologist parents, practically raising herself while heavily smoking and drinking her way through her late adolescence and teens. Through the divorce, relocating to Clearwater, Florida where she struggled with her biracial identity, understanding her class standing, a near-mute alcoholic step father, and her older brother's brain cancer, Chinn has one concern above all else: her cystic acne. There is so much going on in this memoir that Chinn's obsession over her skin condition seems to be one of the only things grounding her in the swirling chaos of the rest of her life. Chinn's writing is witty, smart, and heartbreaking, and will especially resonate with those who know the agony that comes with chronic acne."

#3 Noodle and the No Bones Day by Jonathan Graziano, illustrated by Dan Tavis. This sweet and entertaining picture book comes from the creator of the viral 'Bones or No Bones' TikTok videos. The book version follows Noodle the pug and his human as they navigate Noodle’s first No Bones Day - a day for being kind to yourself. More than just entertaining, Noodle's book and videos present an opportunity to equip kids with an accessible vocabulary to engage with lessons around self-care, motivation, and emotional intelligence that's never been more necessary than during the last two years of pandemic burnout.

#4 Ghost Eaters by Clay Chapman gets this recommendation from Madi: "How far would you go to see a loved one that had passed? Ghost Eaters imagines a world in which it’s possible but at a very steep price. After the overdose death of her ex-boyfriend and best friend Silas, Erin and her friends have to navigate their grief while trying to establish their post-college adult lives. When one of the friends reveals he and Silas found a magic mushroom that allows the living to speak to the dead, the friends try to find Silas, but encounter much more of the spirit world than intended. Though supernatural, Chapman uses this horror story to explore how people cope with mourning and addiction, especially in an already difficult transitory time for these early twenty-something characters. His exploration of an abusive relationship beyond the dead is creepy but gripping. Ghost Eaters explores how history is never truly in the past, and the impact the dead still have on the living."

#5 Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor by Kim Kelly. This is a revelatory, inclusive history of the American labor movement, from independent journalist and labor columnist Kim Kelly. From Amazon’s warehouses to Starbucks cafes, Appalachian coal mines to the sex workers of Portland’s Stripper Strike, interest in organized labor is at a fever pitch not seen since the early 1960s. Inspirational, intersectional, and full of crucial lessons from the past, Fight Like Hell shows what is possible when the working class demands the dignity it has always deserved.

More top 5 lists coming tomorrow! Hooray!

The Boswellians' Top 5 Books of 2022 - Part Three

 

Another day, another handful of top 5 books. What a wonderful thing!

These three booksellers off up a wide variety of great reads.

Tim McCarthy is one of our more prolific book recommenders. With more than 100 recs on his staff rec page, you know that he's drawing up his top 5 from a long list of great books. Here are his faves this year.

#1 Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel. Tim writes: "I'm trying to understand why Mandel's writing casts a spell on me. I don’t have a complete answer, but I’ve decided on this: her style is steady and beautiful, she’s smart without sounding pretentious, and her characters feel true. There's a flesh and blood intimacy about them that makes me feel safe in their world, even as we’re brought to the edge of catastrophe. When tragedy comes, I want to face it with these fictional people. This novel builds on The Glass Hotel (which I loved!) and Station Eleven (which I now must read!). It brings the past and future together as if connections across time are waiting to be discovered. It throws our reality into doubt by questioning how we came to be, and it shows us that technology will never hide our humanity. I’ll forgo the summary and just say that Mandel has created a dazzling story with humble simplicity, then tied it tight with a perfect ending."

#2 Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe by David Maraniss. Tim writes: "Swedish King Gustav V apparently told Jim Thorpe, as he handed him a gold medal at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, that he was “the most wonderful athlete in the world.” Thorpe was certainly admired and sought after worldwide for his unmatched athleticism and talent. Everyone wanted to see him, wherever he went. He was on World Series teams, he was there at the inception of the NFL, and later he had many small Hollywood film roles, befriending the biggest stars of the day. Thorpe was often used as a novelty as well, a drawing card constantly subject to racial stereotypes, and as time passed he became more actively involved with indigenous people’s rights. As a man, Jim Thorpe had serious human flaws and struggled constantly to succeed, but he was personally kind and generous, offering a huge smile to all. He never seemed inclined to pity himself or stop chasing his dreams. The extraordinary details of his life, including many connections to Wisconsin and Milwaukee, are endlessly fascinating, and Maraniss makes them exceptionally smooth reading. He wraps Thorpe's life into the story of America, and he’s blunt about our cruel contradictions in such an intelligent way that my progressive anger feels completely validated. This is a top-flight history lesson that separates the truth from the myth of a legendary and iconic American!"

#3 The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais. Tim's write-up: "Oh, man! By that I mean oh, how does a man review a book like this!? Let's start (and end) with the fact that I loved every minute. I loved the characters, and the plot twists, and the very verbal crow. Most of all, I loved the sense that Marais was having as much fun writing as I was reading about a sisterhood of glorious old witches with a long history in a town that’s been mostly ok with them, until something changes. Now their manor and their popular distillery are being attacked by a mob of irrational townsmen (go figure), and reliving their own tragic past could offer them either salvation or destruction. They’re not sure which. Enter the Mayor’s spiky-haired teenage daughter and her dog named Ruth Bader Ginsburg and you’ve got the setup for a lovely riot. So take a break from our very strange real world and pour yourself into this spellbound concoction of laughter and full-blown feminist power, mixed with suspense and dashes of potent wisdom likely to fly into my thoughts forevermore."

#4 Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice a graphic novel by Tommie Smith, with Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile. Tim says: "I was eight years old in October of 1968 as I watched Tommie Smith and John Carlos receive their Summer Olympic medals with raised, black-gloved fists. I didn't notice they were also shoeless and wearing black socks to represent poverty, or see the beads and scarf representing lynchings. I admit that the moment scared and confused me. This suburban white kid didn't understand how a great victory would make these men look so sad. It was perhaps the first time I really wondered what was wrong with America, and it remains one of my life’s strongest visual memories. Now I've been given a chance to learn Tommie Smith's life story directly from him. He was also young when he started wondering what was wrong, why his large, loving, hard-working, faithful family of Texas sharecroppers had so much less than whites, despite tireless, honest effort. The story of his path from childhood to the moment they took a stand for human rights and a better nation is inspiration from an American hero, for which I’m deeply grateful. With exquisite illustrations by Dawud Anyabwile, this graphic novel answers questions that began in my eight-year-old thoughts fifty-four years ago. Now that’s extraordinary!"

#5 The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill is a middle grade novel of which Tim writes: "It’s an elaborate story, woven in great detail with dragons and ogres and loving orphans, animals who converse with people, heroes alongside a treacherous villain, and a town which, once very lovely, has fallen apart. The demise of Stone-in-the-Glen began with a fire that destroyed perhaps the most beautiful library imaginable. Everything started to crumble from there, including the will of most citizens to support and believe in one another. They do have a polished and beloved Mayor, a world renowned dragon slayer, who tells them he can fix it all, while also telling them to suspect everyone else. Most of the townspeople have become reclusive and have no desire to understand the remarkable Ogress nearby, but the struggling orphans and the Ogress will meet. Perhaps there is magic in the world, and there certainly is magic in Barnhill’s beautiful words and her thoughtful perceptions of life."

And now on to Parker Jensen! They've got recommendations that take you all over the literary map.

#1 A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland (you'll see this one again in this blog, and soon!). Parker has left us without a write-up for this one, but here's a bit more about the book. The Goblin Emperor meets "Magnificent Century" when a queer central romance unfolds in a fantasy world reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire. From the starred PW review: "Rowland delivers a breathtakingly intimate narrative in this gorgeous fantasy, in which the political intrigue of a kingdom serves as backdrop to a romance between the softest of hearts... In exploring what monarchs owe their people, and what individuals owe each other, this achingly tender fantasy wows."

#2 Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samathan Allen. This was also one of NPR's best books of the year. When the final four women in competition for an aloof, somewhat sleazy bachelor's heart arrive on a mysterious island in the Pacific Northwest, they prepare themselves for another week of extreme sleep deprivation, invasive interviews, and, of course, the salacious drama eager viewers nationwide tune in to devour. Enter Patricia, a temperamental and woefully misunderstood local living alone in the dark, verdant woods, and desperate for connection. Through twists as unexpected as they are wildly entertaining, the self-absorbed cast and jaded crew each make her acquaintance atop the island's tallest and most desolate peak, finding themselves at the center of an action-packed thriller that is far from scripted. 

#3 Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh, her follow-up to Death in Her Hands. This review in The Atlantic pretty much sums it up: "Lapvona flips all the conventions of familial and parental relations, putting hatred where love should be or a negotiation where grief should be... Through a mix of witchery, deception, murder, abuse, grand delusion, ludicrous conversations, and cringeworthy moments of bodily disgust, Moshfegh creates a world that you definitely don’t want to live in, but from which you can’t look away."

#4 Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake. Parker writes: "Delilah Green wants nothing to do with Bright Falls, the town she grew up in. She doesn't care for the small-town people, the businesses that close at 6pm sharp, and she certainly is not interested in seeing her step mother. Or her recently engaged step sister, Astrid, for that matter. But after finding herself short on cash, she finds it impossible to say no to a good paying job doing the photography at Astrid's wedding - plus her Dad would have wanted her to go. All Claire wants in her life is a little extra stability, as she has been dealing with an unreliable ex, the father of her daughter, for years, while managing the bookstore she has taken over for her mother. So, the last thing she needs is unpredictable Delilah Green strutting into her life with her beautifully tattooed arms, tight black jeans, and gorgeous unruly hair. Not to mention, she has never been there for her best friend Astrid! But, as Claire and Delilah begin to know each other during the wedding events, the sparks are undeniable, and maybe neither of them are who the other thinks. Ashley Herring Blake delivers a rom-com full of life about the meaning of forgiveness, women's friendships, and how to let go of the past (not to mention grin worthy flirtatious banter!). I fell head over heels for this book, all of the characters were loveable and the story was the kind of multilayered romance I love. Delilah Green Doesn't Care is a heartfelt queer romance perfect for fans of Casey McQuistion."

#5 The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead. Parker writes: "Shay Evans is tormented by her past, one in which she and her best friend, Laurel, escaped from a dangerous man. But Shay has built a life all these years later, one she is almost content with, and one that will all crumble before her with one piece of news. Laurel is dead. Her favorite true crime podcast breaks the news, and Shay finds herself thrust back into a world she feared she'd never be able to outrun. Was Laurel's death truly a suicide as the police claim or the proof that a dangerous man and his colleagues are back and more powerful than ever? To find out, Shay must team up with the host of the podcast that sent her spiraling and slip into a world of cults, abuse, and twisted ideology that will push her to her breaking point. Last year's In My Dreams I Hold A Knife was the juiciest and most exciting thriller I'd read in years, and now Ashley Winstead is back with the darkest and most heart-wrenching thriller I've read yet. The Last Housewife pulls no punches so be warned that it's a tough read that will leave you breathless, but it is worth every moment. I inhaled this book in a matter of hours, frantically turning the pages as Shay found herself in increasing danger and all her darkest secrets were thrust into the light. This story unpacks the truths about the traumas women face in contemporary America, from sexism to abuse to the ways in which the world forces ownership of their bodies. I can't recommend this one enough (but do make sure to check the content warning in the start of the book!). All the stars. All the awards. All the praise. Ahsley Winstead has proven herself to be one of the greatest thriller writers of the time."

Kathy Herbst has a nifty collection of books to offer up this year!

#1 When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill, making her second appearance in this very blog post! This is her first novel for adults. Kathy writes: "It's the 1950s and a mass dragooning takes place. Women shed their human selves and turn into dragons, a reality that is denied by the powers that be. Alex is 8 when her aunt transforms, leaving her daughter, Beatrice, to be cared for by Alex's mother. Forbidden to speak of her aunt or dragons, Alex struggles to find her place in a world that denies her incredible mathematical skills. When Beatrice's fascination with dragons becomes evident, Alex fears losing the person she is closest to. A heartfelt book of women finding their strength in a world that denies their intelligence and abilities."

#2 Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. This book makes its second appearance in the top 5 blogs. This instant NYTimes bestseller was a Read with Jenna book club pick and was named a best book of summer by Chicago Tribune, The View, Southern Living, and USA Today. From Washington Post: "an ultimately feel-good but deceptively sensitive debut... Memorable and tender." And from Elle: "Infused with heartfelt humor, Van Pelt’s elegant portrait of a widowed woman who finds understanding and connection with a clever octopus is refreshingly, if surprisingly, relatable. Despite the unorthodox relationship at its core, the debut novel offers a wholly original meditation on grief and the bonds that keep us afloat."

# 3 The Last Confessions of Sylvia P by Lee Kravetz. This novel bridges fact and fiction to imagine the life of a revered writer. Kathy writes: "Kravetz’s book is a beautifully written novel blending fact and fiction, past and present, to create a story at the heart of which is Plath's novel, The Bell Jar. Told through the distinct voices of three fictional characters, Kravetz draws us into Plath's life - her lifelong battle with depression, her overwhelming need to express herself through words, and her struggle to be taken seriously as a poet and writer."

#4 Gallant by VE Schwab Kathy writes: "Another gripping, can't-put-it-down novel by Schwab; a story of parallel worlds, haunted houses, ghouls, and ominous family secrets. Tenacious 16-year-old Olivia, who is mute, longs for a home and family but has only her mother's journal. When she is invited by her uncle to return to the family home, she finds family is not as simple a concept as she thought and ultimately must decide where she belongs. And if the writing isn't compelling enough, the amazing illustrations will surely draw you in."

#5  The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris. The Queen's Gambit meets The Alice Network in this epic, action-packed novel of family, loss, and one woman's journey to save all she holds dear. It's a sweeping World War II tale of an illusionist whose recruitment by British intelligence sets her on a perilous, heartrending path. Inspired by stunning true accounts,  a gripping story of love and loss, the wars we fight, on the battlefields and within ourselves, and the courage found in unexpected places.

That's it for this post! More top 5's on the way tomorrow, so keep reading, dear readers.

The Boswellians' Top 5 Books of 2022 - Part Two

Today, we'll feature our buyer's top five picks of the year. They spend all year making decisions about how many copies of this and that book to stock on our shelves and which books to feature. We trust their taste. We think you will, too.

 

First it's Jason, who buys the books for grown folks.

#1 Hawk Mountain by Connor Habib. An English teacher is gaslit by his charismatic high school bully in this tense story of deception, manipulation, and murder. Jason says: "Todd, a high school teacher and single Dad, runs into Jack; his high school bully. Todd is hesitant to interact with him, but his son really takes to Jack. Remembering his high school days, Todd begins to seethe with pent-up emotions and feelings. His ex-wife is attempting to get a hold him (she misses her son and wants to reconnect), Jack reminds him of the humiliations and uncomfortable situations of the past, and his son is bonding with the man who made his life miserable. It's all too much, and what comes next is dark and horrific but only takes a moment. The spiral of the story whips the reader down and down until the final resting place is revealed in all its shocking and damaged depths. Hawk Mountain consumed me with its brutality and wonder."

#2 River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard. Jason says: "Candace Millard delves into the history of the expeditions of Burton and Speke as they try to discover the source of the White Nile. The logistics were mind-boggling, and the amount of supplies and the number of people it took to make the trek seemed like overkill - until it wasn't. And then the food began to run out. The amount of illness and its severity visited upon everyone made me wonder what form of insanity these explorers had to have suffered. The individual personalities and vistas are fascinating. Candace Millard follows the fortunes of these two British fellows along with Sidi Mubarak Bombay, who was brought in to handle working with local African groups. Bombay is the real reason this expedition didn't fail spectacularly as the two Europeans worked against each other. Another great historical adventure that opens our eyes to an era that I just don't understand anymore but found amazing."

#3 The Boy and the Dog by Seishu Hase, translated by Alison Watts. The tale of one dog's journey through Japan after the 2013 tsumani. Jason says: "In this novel, we follow Tamon, a dog displaced by the earthquake and resulting Tsunami that hit Japan in 2013. Each section he has a new person who needs to help Tamon and also needs Tamon's help. Seishu Hase has written a tale about the hard journey it takes to come back from tragedy, the sacrifice and will, and the knowledge that what’s happened will never be erased, but family helps."

#4 The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Naylor. A near-future thriller about the nature of consciousness, this book is a dazzling literary debut and a mind-blowing dive into the treasure and wreckage of humankind’s legacy. The NYTimes says: "Alert, intelligent, open." And how about this, from Jeff Vandermeer: "The Mountain in the Sea is a first-rate speculative thriller, by turns fascinating, brutal, powerful, and redemptive. The book poses profound questions about artificial and nonhuman intelligence, and its answers are tantalizing and provocative."

#5 Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles. This book offers a riveting deep dive into a journalist's obsession: the unsolved murder of two free-spirited young women in the wilderness and a new theory of who might have done it. John Grisham says: "​A beautifully written account of a great American tragedy - the unsolved murders of an undetermined number of young women, all by the same serial killer, who got away. The truth is still buried. I couldn’t put it down." Intimate, page-turning, and brilliantly reported, Trailed is a love story and a call to justice, and a searching and urgent plea to make wilderness a safe space for women, destined to become a true crime classic.

And next we've got Jen, who buys the books for kids.

# 1 Ithaca by Claire North. A daring reimagining that gives voice to the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men. Jen says: "How do I even begin to write a rec?! Simply put, Ithaca is one of the best Greek myth retellings I have ever read! Hera, Mother Goddess, Goddess of Queens tells the story that only women tell and poets will ignore, the story of Penelope, Queen of Ithaca. Watch the mortals cry, grieve, rage, and love along with Hera. Penelope is so much more than what the poets have told us; she is strength, grace, brilliance, and cunning. Claire North delivers an elegant novel of epic proportions that will take your breath away."

#2 Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Malibu Rising and Daisy Jones & The Six. Jen says: "A riveting, fast-paced, and enthusiastic look at the world of tennis through the eyes of Carrie Soto, the world's finest athlete. It's been five years since Carrie Soto retired as the reigning champion of women's tennis, and it's all about to be taken away by powerhouse Nicki Chan. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Carrie decides to step back onto the court to remind everyone who the world's greatest player is. Taylor Jenkins Reid delivers a gripping comeback novel with a fierce character you will be rooting for until the very last page. A must read!"

#3 How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz. Jen says: "Cara Romero wants to work. After being laid off at the factory, Cara meets with a job counselor to help her find a new job. Told through 12 counseling sessions, Cara shares her life's story: from the Dominican Republic to Washington Heights, through marriage and motherhood, family, friends, lovers, and faith. Insightful, heartwarming, and laugh-out-loud funny, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water is a new favorite! Grab your favorite cafe and settle in, Cara Romero is a character you will not forget."

#4 Even Though I Knew the End by CL Polk. A fantastical noir that dives into the affairs of Chicago's divine monsters. Jen says: "Helen Brandt’s time is almost up. Instead of heading west with her gal, she’s pulled into one last case, a mystery only she can solve. The White City Vampire is striking fear into the hearts of Chicagoans and Helen may have to make a deal with a devil. Even Though I Knew the End is a clever, supernatural, and suspenseful noir making you wish you didn’t know the end!"

#5 Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon. The self-appointed mayor of a tiny Italian village is determined to save his hometown no matter the cost in this charming, hilarious, and heartwarming debut novel. People magazine writes: "A charming farce that highlights the triumph of hope and community in an often unforgiving world." And from the starred Publishers Weekly review: "[A] sparkling, hilarious debut… Simon’s wit pervades every pages, with colorful portrayals of Speranza and the town’s quirky inhabitants. This triumphant farce is a gem."

More top 5's coming tomorrow!

The Boswellians' Top 5 Books of 2022 - Part One

 

December. The last month of the year. Holidays. Family. Shopping. Stress. Wouldn't it be nice to just hide out in a quiet corner with a book or five? Of course it would. 

Fortunately, the last month of the year also means year-end favorites lists. And every year, we have every one of the booksellers at Boswell pick their five favorite books from the past 12 months. So over the next couple of weeks, we'll feature roundups of all of the Boswellian's top five picks along with notes on the books and the bookseller's recommendation write-ups. 

So why not pick a bookseller or two, pick some of their picks, and hole up in your favorite cozy reading corner?

Let's start with our proprietor Daniel and his top 5 books of the year. Which is actually a double dose. Five times two. That's right, we give him ten picks. And here they are!

#1 Search by Michelle Huneven. Daniel writes: "Restaurant reviewer Dana Potowski is asked to be on the committee to pick the new minister for her Unitarian Universalist congregation and decides to write a memoir about the experience, but how is she going to do that when she’s agreed to confidentiality? The committee, a varied lot of big personalities, seems to be on the same page regarding generalities, but when it comes to the specifics, conflicts arise, factions take hold, and Dana’s not exactly the only committee member keeping a few secrets.  If you had asked me for a shortlist of compelling plots for a novel, I would not have come up with this one, but I would have been dead wrong, and not just because whenever I describe it to someone, I often get the response: I would read that! Search is a wonderful novel filled with vibrant characters, essential philosophical questions (most notably, what do we want from life?), and a cornucopia of foodie delights."

#2 Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close. Daniel writes: "The Sullivans have run their family restaurant in Oak Park for three generations, but three unexpected occurrences send the family into disarray - the 2016 election, the Cubs World Series victory, and the sudden death of Bud, the family patriarch. Then there are the setbacks that should have been expected, given the ill-chosen life partners of the Sullivan third generation, Gretchen, Jane, and Teddy. The story is centered on them, two sisters and a cousin, with special appearances by Teddy’s younger half-sister Riley, as their lives spin out of control, sending them back to Sullivan’s. But family is not the best place to avoid drama. This first-rate fractured family free-for-all is Chicago-infused and food forward, from sandwich loafs to sliders. So glad I finally read a Jennifer Close novel - I can’t wait to read another!

#3 Lark Ascending by Silas House. You'll see this one again in our top 5's. In fact, you'll see it again below in this very blog! Daniel says: "In the not-too-distant future, fires have ravaged much of the world, and America, like much of the world, has been taken over by extremists. Even the isolated Maine woods have become too dangerous. The only option is for Lark and his family to escape to Ireland, the only country still open to refugees. But during the harrowing voyage, not only does tragedy strike at every turn, but hopes for a peaceful resettlement are dashed. Can Lark, with the help of two newfound companions (one canine) find peace in the legendary settlement of Glendalough? I’m not generally a dystopian reader, but Lark Ascending’s beautiful language and imagery, combined with the emotional heft of the story, drew me in from the first paragraph."

#4 Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Another book you'll be seeing again! Daniel says: "If you can say one thing about widowed aquarium cleaner Tova Sullivan, the once-again-jobless Cameron Passmore, and star-aquarium-attraction Marcellus the Octopus, it’s that they’ve all had their share of misfortune. Yes, this is a story of grief, of losses both recent and in the past. But it’s also a story of found family, of hope, and of purpose. Van Pelt infuses all her characters with grace, not just the protagonists but the members of Tova’s Knit-Wit social group, Cameron’s Aunt Jeanne (who raised him after his mom disappeared), and even the elusive developer who Cameron suspects is his father. But the star of the show is probably Marcellus, whose dexterity and wisdom never fails to inspire. Why haven’t I read Sy Montgomery’s The Soul of an Octopus? And while I’m asking, why haven’t you read Remarkably Bright Creatures?"

#5 Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks by Patrick Radden Keefe. Daniel says: "While I have a subscription to The New Yorker, I don’t read every long-form article. In fact, I consider it a triumph if I can get through the cartoons, Talk of the Town, at least one review, and at least one article.  But even when I did read some of the pieces collected in Rogues, I found it fascinating to revisit them as part of a collection. Rogues, particularly if you exclude the closing profile of Anthony Bourdain, reads as a collection of true crime short stories, being that they have the vibrancy of the best fiction. I love the way traditional crime subjects like drug cartels and arms dealers are mixed with the corporate misdeeds of unscrupulous hedge fund managers, look-the-other-way bankers, and unrepentant television producers, leading me to wonder if we should reshelve some of those corporate narrative books that are currently in our business section. Whether you want to read more Patrick Radden Keefe or are just hungering for juicy narrative nonfiction, this should satisfy you 12-fold."

#6 (or 5.1, if you prefer to keep it top-five-only-ish) The Partition by Don Lee. Though not in their top 5's, this did also get recommendations from Chris and Tim. Daniel writes: "In the shockingly never-released-in-paperback Lonesome Lies Before Us, Don Lee wrote the anti-ethnic ethnic novel, where only a plate of food might hint at a character’s brownness. So in an about face, The Partition’s stories are packed with hapa haoles, gen 1.5s, and lots of where-are-you-from inquisitions. I loved the story 'Late in the Day' in which a filmmaker’s labor of love (itself an anti-ethnic ethnic film) is called out for using a biracial actor and instead takes a mercenary job as director of a short vanity film, only to see it picked up by PBS. Another of my favorites is 'UFOs,' where a television reporter takes two lovers, a married White guy and an earnest Korean American doctor who can spot her plastic surgery. Just about every story turns messy, and why should it be otherwise? The way these stories span decades and the tone of melancholy punctuated with humor make The Partition’s stories almost Alice Munro-esque. A worthy bookend to Lee’s first collection, Yellow, and here’s hoping it will be seen as similarly groundbreaking."

#7 (or 5.2, you get the idea) Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe. Daniel writes: "Four girls are growing up fast in a Chicago housing project, trying to keep it together while their literal homes are being destroyed. At the center of the story is Fe Fe, who sees the pull of the streets take her friends. Just a warning - there are moments of violence, addiction, and abuse. But the writing! Just read that Double Dutch Scene on page 37. And those girls - it’s hard not to fall in love with Fe Fe. Highly recommended!"

#8 The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music by Tom Breihan. Daniel says: "I am completely obsessed with Tom Breihan’s ‘Number Ones’ column in Stereogum. He’s been telling the story behind every Billboard chart-topper since the list started in 1958, and what started as capsule summaries have now turned into essays that almost always have something interesting to say about pop music and popular culture in general. But was this enough to make a book? You bet it was! Breihan looks at 20 particularly influential songs and the artists that created them and offers original-to-this-book essays that dig even deeper than his column. I’m sure there will be arguments about who made the cut, who was left out, and when it came to some of the artists, whether this was their move-the-needle #1, or was it another cut? And there’s always the problem of those groundbreakers, like Bob Dylan, who never got higher than #2 on the singles chart. The key here is that it doesn’t matter if you know the songs or not, especially now that you can listen to just about anything almost instantly. No less than enthralling!"

#9 Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro. Daniel writes: "Two families who live across the street from each other in suburban Connecticut are bound together by one tragedy, a fatal car accident involving the Wilf family, and one miracle, in which Ben Wilf facilitates the birth of Alice Shenkman’s child. The story careens back and forth across time, as the strands of connection deepen and spread. I love books like this, from Simon Van Booy’s The Illusion of Separateness to Frederick Reiken’s Day for Night, and the fact that I’m referencing novels from nine and twelve years ago calls attention to how rarely I find books that capture this feeling of awe that I found in Signal Fires. It was clear from reading Inheritance that Shapiro is adept at capturing life’s reversals; I’m so glad to see that this special skill is equally on display in this beautiful and delicate novel."

#10 All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews. Daniel writes: "All Sneha really wants when she relocates to Milwaukee is a circle of friends, a special someone, and a steady income, but even those goals turn out to be a harder to achieve in this debut novel. She’s got a few friends and a possible love interest, though most of them are struggling with goals and money, plus both her contractor boss and the flat manager turn out to be, well, two pieces of work. Plus, contract work kind of sucks - you’re in the company (it’s obvious to any Milwaukeean where she works, but it’s never spelled out in the story), but not really of the company, much the way that Sneha must navigate her life in Milwaukee as a queer South Asian woman. There’s almost a chaotic feel to the narrative - will Thom forgive Sneha, will things with Martina work out, can Tig get her commune together, and just how much money is Amit going to spend trying to save a drug-addicted friend? – but to me, that’s just the way things feel during the kind of quarter-life crisis that Sneha is experiencing.  And props for getting the Milwaukee details right circa 2016, considering Mathews never lived here, though she went to school in Madison. Milwaukee is usually used as a no-place-in-particular setting, but here, Mathews plays off oddly Edenic history of socialist mayors that is meaningful to some millennials, even if the contemporary city struggles with prejudice and crime. Even the name-checked restaurants reinforce the narrative – not necessarily fancy, but a little too expensive for the unsteady paychecks of most of this crew, particularly Tig, who generally orders the most expensive thing on the menu. In the end, everything’s going to work out. Right?"

From the Boswellian with the most top 5 picks to the Boswellian with the least. Amie gives us her two favorite books of the year. 

#1 Amie's first pick is Windswept, a middle grade novel from Newbery Honor winner Margi Preus. This gripping fantasy tells the story of a girl who must save the children of her world from being 'windswept' and vanishing in the swirling snow. How about this review, from the hard-to-please Kirkus, which gave Windswept a starred review: "Inspired primarily by the Norwegian fairy tale 'The Three Princesses in the Mountain Blue,' this edgy, somewhat dystopian tale set in a world where race holds no significance masterfully blends European fairy-tale motifs with timely warnings about human greed, waste, and destructiveness while extoling the power of storytelling... An inventive, memorable must-read."

#2 Amie's second pick is The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka, author of  The Buddha in the Attic. Speaking of Kirkus, they must be asking Amie for advice, as The Swimmers was named one of their best books of the year. Vogue agreed with them and put it on their best-of list, too. And here's a glowing Washington Post review, in which Becky Meloan says that Otsuka's novel "starts as a catalogue of spoken and unspoken rules for swimmers at an aquatic center but unfolds into a powerful story of a mother’s dementia and her daughter’s love. If Otsuka doesn’t write another novel for several years, it will be okay. This is one to be savored and reread."

And let's have one more bookseller chime in here. Namely, me, your humble blog editor and events & marketing dude, Chris. I adore these books!

#1 The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty. This one won the National Book Award this year, and all I can say about that is it deserved it and more. Give this book every dang award you can find. PHEW WHATTA BOOK! I can't wait for Gunty's next novel. Here's my write-up for this one, too: "The Rabbit Hutch is wonderful, insane, and brilliant, and I love, love, love it. Rust belt, Indiana. The denizens of a crumbling apartment building are desperate to transcend their crumbling lives; to transcend trauma, forgottenness, and fame, to transcend the emptiness of material circumstances. To transcend the body. This book is ALIVE. The lives within it pop, scream, and bleed off the page."

#2 Lark Ascending by Silas House. As promised, entry #2 for this one. Every time I see someone else pick this book up, I can't help myself and wind up walking over to them just to say "that book is so, so, so beautiful." Here's my write-up: "If, like me, you have a less-than-sunny outlook on the prospect of avoiding simultaneous civil collapse and climate catastrophe in your lifetime, then you may find it counterintuitive when I tell you this novel of a young man running from the aftermath of those very events is the most comforting thing I’ve read all year. A dark book for dark times, Lark Ascending is, all the same, written so beautifully, full of honesty and compassion. In his old age, Lark recalls his harrowing journey to escape an America ruled by fundamentalist and swept by massive fires, sail across a stormy Atlantic, and trek across Ireland to a thin place that may offer sanctuary. House offers something necessary - hope that through all the violence, hatred, death, scarcity, and destruction of the impending collapse, a glimmer of humanity might remain."

#3 Stay True: A Memoir by Hua Hsu. Since this book has hit a number of Best Book of the Year lists, including the NYTimes and Washington Post top tens, I feel like it's by 'told ya so' book of the year. The one that I was telling everyone was going to be a hit when I read it earlier this year as a galley. It is so moving, so well written, so just plain good. Here's my official write-up: "This memoir is so many things: a time capsule of 90s America from a West Coast outsider, a dissection of friendship through lenses of philosophy and language theory, a lived account of Asian diaspora in America. It’s road trips, cigarette breaks, mixtapes, and late nights goofing off. It’s the tone of nostalgia from a Smashing Pumpkins song. It’s the core-deep impact a friend can have, and it’s the tragedy of an early, senseless, violent loss. This book tore me completely apart. For anyone who’s ever found a friend who let them find themselves, for anyone who’s ever lost a friend who took a chunk of you with them, this book is going to destroy you then put you back together again, a little wiser and a little more tender."

#4 Inciting Joy: Essays by Ross Gay. I can't remember the last time I had two nonfiction titles in my top 5. Perhaps never. Daniel will argue that it only sort of counts because of how most memoir would have been classified, decades ago, as fiction. But this isn't decades ago, is it? Okay, anyway. Here's my write up for Gay's follow-up to The Book of Delights, which also made my top 5 the year it was released. "Ross Gay has got to be one of the most generous human beings alive, and his essays in this book are beautifully messy, meandering, in-progress things, building onto and into each other as he searches his life for the connective tissue from which joy is made. It’s written the only way it could be while staying an honest exploration of the messy, in-progress thing that is being human. Gay casts a wide net in his search for joy, and the book ends up being about way too much to list, the result of a fierce and roaming intellect that delights in getting down into the nitty-gritty. But, a sample: his essay on masculinity and grief (and football, and fathers, and meditation, and… you get the idea) pretty much rended me completely apart and then, mercifully, rebuilt me again. Here’s a writer at the height of his powers accounting for himself and in turn inviting us join him in this accounting, this search for a gentler, more connected, joyful way to be. I would have finished this book faster except I kept having to take breaks to cry – tears of gratitude, of grief, and yes, most definitely, of joy."

#5 The Coward by Jared McGinnis. Don't really have a funny, quippy thing to say about this one. It's a kind of novel I read a lot of and like a lot - realistic literary fiction that leans hard into funny/sad and is also a bit rude. This is a really good example of that genre. It's not for everyone, but if it's for you, you can't miss with this one. My write up: "The Coward is a spectacular dirtbag bildungsroman. Jarred is paralyzed after a car accident that killed a woman, and he blames himself for her death. In fact, blames himself for a lot of things; classic King Midas in reverse syndrome. Maybe the only person he blames more is his estranged, alcoholic father, under whose roof he’s now stuck living. Alas, Jarred can barely push himself down the block before he’s out of breath, so his tried and true method of running away from his problems is no longer a particularly viable option. Some soul-searching and past-confronting may be in order, as quick wit and anger are only going to carry him so far. Is he destined to spend the rest of his life as a living, breathing (and annoyed) cautionary tale / inspirational token to the able-bodied? How long can he dodge medical bill collectors? Could the barista at the fancy coffee shop actually be interested in him, like, that way? And can he reconcile with his father, finally mourn his mother, and learn not run out on the people who care about him? The Coward will probably not be the book for everybody - the voice is callous, sarcastic, and comes with quite the chip on the shoulder - but if your interest is piqued, I can promise this book will lend your heart some serious warmth by the end."

See you tomorrow with more top 5 picks. Read on, dear readers.

Staff Recommendations, Week of December 6, 2022

It's December! And the first week of December brings a handful of new releases we recommend you snag. Consider this your minature gift guide (and hey, if you want a not-so-minature gift guide, click here and browse our full gift guide online) for the absolute latest in book gifting. Even if you're gifting books directly to yourself. Away we go.

This week begins with a whole lotta Jason! Jason Kennedy first recommends Stella Maris, the second novel in the highly anticipated Passenger books by Cormac McCarthy. Jason says: "Now we get Bobby Western's sisters tale. Alicia commits herself to a psychiatric hospital because, as we know from The Passenger, she has had delusions for most of her life. In a series of discussions with her psychiatrist, we are dazzled by clever wordplay, math, and the relationship between a sister and brother. This is a fast and challenging read. Cormac McCarthy has deftly fleshed out a brilliant mathematician in Alicia, who struggles with the world and how it works."

Conrad Silverberg chimes in with this delightfully annotated recommendation: "Stella Maris is the second book, a coda if you will, of Cormac McCarthy's duology* that began with The Passenger. From what I had heard, I was expecting a kind of Rashomon**-like experience with different characters recasting themselves in the lead role, shoehorning themselves into the center of events, whose perspectives contradict and utterly supersede those of all others. But, that's not quite it. More like McCarthy was so enthralled with the backstory of one of The Passenger's major characters (if, for the most part, an off-stage character - a sort of Fifth Business***), he couldn't help but bring them to the fore and flesh out their story. We can only be grateful that he did. We come to know one of the most richly layered, intricately developed, deeply flawed yet completely compelling characters you'd ever hope to meet in fiction. The sister of The Passenger's protagonist is very much the lynchpin that ties everything together, and so maybe Fifth Business after all.

Notes:

*Like a trilogy, but with two books - I suppose that's better than calling it a bi-ology.

**The book of short stories by the Japanese master Ryuno Akutagwa, perhaps better known from the 1950 film adaptation by the great Akira Kurasawa.

***The role in a play or opera that is neither hero nor heroine, villain nor confidante, but is absolutely essential to bringing about the story's denouement - like some doddering old nurse who absentmindedly switched two babies at birth only to reveal all at the end."

Jason also recommends Cursed Bunny, a paperback original by Bora Chung. He says: "This collection has all horror in it. Especially the kind of horror that makes you chuck the book away in squirming disgust - but then you quickly collect the book again to continue reading because you simply have to know what is going to happen. Read this if you want your mind warped and dreams filled with the grotesque."

What else does Jason have for us today? A recommendation of The Tatami Galaxy by Tomihiko Morimi, translated by Emily Balistrieri, that's what! Jason say: "This book will make you think about how our decisions can or cannot change our fate or outcomes. The unnamed narrator lives out four different scenarios based on which school organization he joins. It’s interesting that his decisions lead to him the same friends, situations, and frustrations. The narrator is always wondering if it’s greener over the hill or if their life is just the way it’s supposed to be. A fun, whimsical tale."

Daniel Goldin gets in on the recommending with The Ingenue, the second novel  by Milwaukee native Rachel Kapelke-Dale. 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 The Ingenue that makes this a Midwestern Gothic not to be missed."

Kapelke-Dale will be in town this month for a neat event, too. On Tuesday, December 13, 6:30 pm, she will appear at Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, 1584 N Prospect Ave for a conversation with book influencer Brynn Teaman. Registration is required, so click here and reserve a spot.

And now it's over to Tim McCarthy for the latest in comedic cozy mysteries featuring well-known Vermont politicians. That'd be paperback original Feel the Bern: A Bernie Sanders Mystery, by Hope Never Dies author Andrew Shaffer. Tim says: "Crash Robertson spent five years studying political science at Georgetown, and she's figured out how to put it to work. She was the Sanders intern hopeful carrying the best bottle of maple syrup to her interview. She's also whip smart and a Vermont native. Now she's Bernie's only assistant at a harvest festival in her very own hometown. It's a weird set of circumstances because she hasn't been home in years and showed no sign of wanting to go back. Then things get really interesting. A floating body shows up in Lake Champlain, and so does a billionaire who's buying out struggling maple syrup businesses and making a cheap imitation with… that’s right, high fructose corn syrup. Can you say MINO!? (Maple In Name Only). Bernie will never stand for this, but really, how much drama can a cute little town like Eagle Creek stand? Oh, you’d be surprised. I enjoyed this every bit as much as Schaffer’s Obama-Biden mysteries, and… there are recipes involved. So Happy Holidays! Take a break. Read the book. Feel the Bern!"

We've got one book to recommend with its paperback version hitting our shelves this week.

Jen Steele wants you to set sail with Maiden Voyages: Magnificent Ocean Liners and the Women Who Traveled and Worked Aboard Them by Siân Evans. Jen says: "What marvelous book! An exquisite blend of history and biography, Maiden Voyages takes you on a cruise to a part of women's history that is not often discussed. Sian Evans highlights the unsung sheroes of the day as well as giving the reader a truly informative book."