In My Time of Dying, Sebastian Junger. This book was written by the author of Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging, a book that profoundly affected my understanding of PTSD. Junger is not dying but had a near-death experience and this is his description of it, from both subjective and scientific perspectives. It overlaps quite a bit with the descriptions in Hadley Vlahos’s book about death (next Book Bite, scroll down) but has more science, which is surprising since she is a nurse, but typical of Junger who tends to be a technical writer. Her book is lighter and a more inspiring read, but both are thought-provoking, meaningful books, and on the short side (so is Tribe!) if you’re looking to squeeze in one more read during Summer Reading!
The In-Between, Hadley Vlahos, RN. This book was recommended to me by a library patron upon learning I’ve been affected by several deaths of people and animals close to me in the last few years. It was written by a hospice nurse about near-death encounters and what she describes as striking similarities between the final moments of most of her patients. I found the book fascinating and comforting.
The Briar Club, Kate Quinn. I am surprised I haven’t reviewed any of her books here before. The Diamond Eye, The Rose Code and The Alice Network are all excellent historical novels, set in times in history when the roles of women were in transition. All are available to check out at the library, some on audio CD as well. The Briar Club is her most recent book and it starts off a little bloodier and more whimsical than her usual style (the house is depicted as sentient) but still meeting my expectations as interesting and engaging.
Moby Dick by Herman Melville. I am reading this because I have never read it before. It is one of our library patrons’ favorite books, and he brought in his own copy telling me to read it. It is 600 pages so he may not get it back any time soon, but I am enjoying it more than I did the first time I tried it years ago. The narrator’s storytelling is fun. I have read a review about it describing it as a book about “evil,” and that Melville himself described the book itself as “evil,” and so far I don’t see what that is pertaining to but I’m only about a third in. I’ll update when I finish it.
Summer Book Club, Susan Mallery. I checked it out at the library. This was an enjoyable, light read.
Lara Berry
9 months ago
Funny Story by Emily Henry. I checked this out of the library. It is my first Emily Henry book, and I’m already reading another one, Happy Place. Both are great summer reads: lighthearted, humorous romances with clever dialogue. They are also both being adapted into movies.
“The Watchmaker’s Daughter” by C.J. Archer is the first book of the British mystery Glass & Steele series (not to be confused with the recent WWII book of the same name by Larry Loftis.) I listened to this series on audio from Hoopla, and then went on to listen to her other series on Hoopla (the Glass Library series and Cleopatria Fox series). They are light historical mysteries with minimal violence and sex, some have mild paranormal content.
“Romancing Mister Bridgerton” by Julia Quinn is the fourth book in the Bridgerton series, which correlates with the third season of the Netflix show, out this month (May 2024.) It’s also a pivotal book in the series because it involves the reveal of Lady Whistledown. The books are fun, light romance reads, although the first book has a problematic sex scene that was thankfully changed in the show.
This is the most recent and final novel of Katherine Min, published posthumously, after a lengthy battle with cancer. I read it and her first novel, Secondhand World, primarily because she was the professor in a few writing courses I took at Plymouth State University in my MEd. Both books are very good, and this one defied my expectations, I could not put it down. In many ways it’s a modern day “Lolita” but told from multiple perspectives and about so much more than the young woman/old man dynamic, despite the title. Katherine was writing this book when I knew her and it’s surreal to read it only now once she’s gone.
The Hunter, by Tana French, is the sequel to The Searcher, which came out in 2020 and was aNew York Times and NPR Best Book of the Year. I read it and loved it, and then had to find all of her other books to read them: the series “Dublin Murder Squad.” I enjoyed those two but preferred The Searcher, which takes place in the Irish countryside vs. the city. I was excited to read the sequel and it did not disappoint. I hope she writes more of these. They are murder mysteries but grapple with many other themes, making them literary and complex rather than formulaic and cutesy. (Not knocking those genres, I just like these more!) We have both of her books and several of the DMS books available to check out if you like them.
I normally don’t do a Book Bite about our book group books, but this time I wanted to so I could recommend it. I read this on one of the copies in the “Reads To Go” kit we got for the group, there is also an eBook and audiobook on NH Downloadables/ Libby and I will be purchasing one for the library. This is a nonfiction book about Willie Grimes, who served twenty four years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. The title of the book and the cover make this book look very bleak, but it was not a depressing reading experience. It is the story not just about Willie Grimes but about North Carolina’s Innocence Inquiry Commission and its formation, which is inspiring, although also sobering because not many states have them, and that means there are many people like Willie without the opportunities he ultimately was able to benefit from. I learned a lot about the criminal justice system and found this an educational, inspiring book.
The library owns this book and its sequel, Iron Flame, by Rebecca Yarros. They are bestselling phenomenons so I have been curious about them. They are good reads for anyone who enjoys fantasy, and is okay with violence and some sexual content. They are set in a magical world similar to Anne McCaffrey’s Pern, where dragons match with riders and have telepathic connections. Unlike Pern, there is no threat to their existence other than themselves and other dragons, however, and the riders have magical abilities that are a result of the dragons’ connections. The protagonists are teens but overall the content is adult.
I read the library copy of Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, the author of Once and Future Witches. I was excited to read this since I enjoyed that book but found it a bit too long and complex. This one was shorter, so I was looking forward to the magical elements and her writing style in a quicker read. It mostly lived up to my expectations, but it reads more like a young adult book than an adult one. It is about a teen girl with no family who learns about her relationship to a creepy house and the boy who lives alone there. I didn’t find the story at all creepy though, even with some elements of danger in the house.
I know I said I was probably done reading Colleen Hoover, after two of her other books. This one is for a book group I’m in, though, and I ended up enjoying it more than I liked It Ends With Us, and Verity. It’s a love story that overlaps with the main character grieving a DWI death she caused, and reuniting with her daughter after her prison sentence. It’s a light read in spite of all that, in part because there’s no description of prison and how it would have affected the main character. If you ignore that, there are sweet moments and a nice story of redemption and reconciliation. The library owns this book and I read our copy.
I read the library’s copy of Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals, by Laurie Zaleskie. This true story intersperses cute or moving animal stories with Zaleskie’s childhood in which her mother left her abusive husband and started a life on her own terms for herself and three kids. Zaleskie ends up becoming the person who carries on her mother’s legacy of animal rescue, and runs an animal rescue non profit in New Jersey, funnyfarmrescue.org It was a good read and I enjoyed it.
I read the library’s copy of The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman. It is a story about magical time travel in which a modern reader goes back in time and falls in love with Nathaniel Hawthorne, through his book The Scarlet Letter. The concept of this appeals to me, in the sense that books connect people and transcend the barriers of time. I had a hard time suspending my disbelief about the time travel piece though, and the idea that Hawthorne as a person would have been the romantic hero that Hoffman’s main character experiences. It was a sweet story but I would have been able to get into it more if it hadn’t included a specific, real author.
Leading on Climate Change: How Health Care Leaders Stop Global Warming by Neal C. Hogan, Ph D. The author of this book is a Newington resident who recently donated a signed copy to the library. He (too humbly) made it sound esoteric, i.e. primarily applicable to emissions from healthcare systems, so I checked it out expecting a lot of it to be over my head. Instead I ended up buying my own copy so I could mark it up! His characterization of the climate crisis as a health care crisis and the book’s ensuing exploration of that thesis, is worthwhile to anyone interested in the large-scale changes needed to repair and preserve our planet’s habitability. I haven’t finished the book yet, but the library copy is back and ready to be checked out and I’d love to discuss it.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. I am a big fan of Ann Patchett’s novels usually: Bel Canto is probably my favorite and I loved The Dutch House and many others. I eagerly purchased this for our library and checked it out, and learned that 1. the main character’s name is Lara and 2. she grew up in New Hampshire and 3. I could not relate to her and did not enjoy it! I don’t think I would have liked it even if she had been named something else or lived somewhere else, but it was funny how that turned out.
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow. I read this book for a women’s book group a friend is hosting. It is a long, historical novel with a lot going on: three initially estranged sisters who are witches, rewritten fairy tales every few chapters told by different characters, a suffragette/women’s rights theme coexisting with power in the form of magic, and multiple villains. I read the library’s copy and had to read it twice to discuss it thoroughly. I recommend it for anyone who is interested in the history of women’s rights and fairy tales.
The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu. My niece recommended this YA book to me and I started listening to it on audio from Hoopla, but I didn’t like the voice of the person reading. I stopped and read the book instead, which we have at the library. It centers on a murder mystery but it is also about the potentially obsessive dynamics of teen friendships. It explores that topic very well and is “relatable” for teens or anyone who remembers that strong desire to “belong” that teens feel, sometimes to their detriment.
This novel, I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai, is by the author of The Great Believers, which was a National Book Award finalist. It’s a murder mystery but attempts to operate in a feminist way by humanizing the murder victims and shining a light on the failings of the criminal justice system when it comes to prosecuting the perpetrators. I finished the book but felt it could have been shorter, and didn’t feel it lived up to my expectations given the acclaim for her other book. I would suggest reading that one instead, and only reading this one after if you like her writing. We have both books in our collection at the library.
This touching novel Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt follows the relationships between an older cleaning woman, a 30 year old man at loose ends in his life, and an octopus! This book has been read and recommended by several of us now, including former library employee Deb K. While some aspects of the story may seem far-fetched, it’s mostly not, considering that in real life octopuses are extremely complex and intelligent creatures. Those of us who read The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery together in Book Group know that already! Now that most of our patrons have read Lessons in Chemistry, this book is my go-to recommendation. A very good book.
This memoir You Could Make this Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith is by the author of the poem “Good Bones” which went viral a few years ago. The title is derived from a line in that poem. The book covers the author’s marriage and divorce during that time. I expected a happier reading experience, given the pretty cover and hopeful title, but I didn’t regret reading it or want to put it down. Spoiler Alert:
Her poem going viral and her subsequent fame was a big part of what destroyed her marriage. This is interesting reading for anyone who has pondered the influence of finances and career success on gender dynamics in heterosexual marriage.
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. I usually listen to YA books rather than reading them, but this one I read. It’s been on the New York Times bestseller list in the Teen category for years, which is why I picked it up. The premise is that the characters live in a world where everyone is called to be warned on the day they are going to die. The story unfolds from there with the two main characters grappling with the choice of how to spend their remaining time. The end result is a fast-paced, somewhat emotional (but not heartbreaking, despite the content) read. There is a sequel and I enjoyed this enough that I plan to read it.
The author of the memoir “The Tender Bar”, J.R. Moehringer, is the ghostwriter of Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare,” and I was curious about whether the writing style would be similar, so I read it. Moehringer writes differently as himself than Prince Harry, if anyone else is wondering! I enjoyed this memoir a lot. The bar depicted is reminiscent of the “Cheers” TV show setting, where “everybody knows your name.” This is a coming of age story and also an exploration of different kinds of masculinity, mostly wholesome, despite the boozy atmosphere.
I am on a Taylor Jenkins Reid kick! “Carrie Soto is Back” is still my favorite, but I really liked “Daisy Jones and the Six” too. It is written in an unusual way, in snippets supposed to be from interviews with the characters, but after a few pages I was into it and had no trouble following it. I watched a couple episodes of the Amazon Prime show based on it and liked them, although I didn’t get hooked and I liked the book much better.
I read “Spare” by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex expecting a lot of the book to be about the rupture between him and his family after his marriage to Meghan Markle, but the majority of the book was about his childhood and upbringing. His description of the impact of his mother’s life and death was touching, as I was a fan. I sympathized with his story and understood his desire to tell his side.
Ace of Spades by British Nigerian writer Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. Yes, I had to copy and paste her name, no way I could have spelled it myself. I listened to this young adult novel on Libby, and really liked it. It is a suspense novel that borrows heavily from the horror movie Get Out, and it also has some of the narrative mechanisms from the tv show Gossip Girl. It’s smart with a lot of twists and turns, and two protagonists I rooted for throughout the book.
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I generally post new titles on this page and this one’s been out for a while, but it came highly recommended by two different readers. It is a retelling of the Iliad told from Patrocles’ perspective and won the Orange Prize for Fiction. It’s by the same author as Circe, which we read in Book Group. I absolutely love both of these books, although I “got into” Circe faster than Song of Achilles. You will need tissues for this one, I had a very good cry at the end.
The German Wife, by Kelly Rimmer. Historical fiction about two families during and after WW2, in Germany and America. A couple of our patrons recommended this to me so I read it. This novel addresses the troubling fact that Nazi scientists found a haven in the U.S. after the war if they seemed to have potential to advance our country. It also grapples with ethical questions about how people can be swayed to allow or perpetuate atrocities if they believe they are protecting their families. The nove doesn’t draw hard lines but explores moral ambiguities and poses interesting questions for the reader.
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. I have read some of her other books and liked them, but this is my favorite so far. Part family drama, part mystery, and laugh out loud funny at times. I listened to it from Hoopla and the narrator brought the book completely to life.
Brittany Post
2 years ago
I have not read this one personally even though it has been on my T.B.R. since it has been on our shelves. A friend of mine read it and these were their thoughts: “The Science of Being Angry by Nicole Melleby is a great read for tweens to adults! Good insight into anger!”
The Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend. I listened to the first of these books, The Trials of Morrigan Crow, on NH Downloadables (Libby) and when the next one wasn’t available right away I actually bought an Audible subscription just to continue it. I listened to the third on NHDB when it was ready. I haven’t been this hooked on a juvenile/young adult series since Harry Potter. There are strong similarities to HP, like an essentially orphaned protagonist “Morrigan Crow” and a magic boarding school in a world she doesn’t initially realize exists. Like Harry, she is singled out by an adult villain, has a guiding mentor like Dumbledore (a younger, livelier guy named Jupiter North) and makes enviable friendships that become family. The characters and plot are original, the writing is dynamic, and I am eagerly awaiting the fourth (out of seven!) book out later this year.
Lockwood & Co series by Johnathan Stroud. I have listened to the first two of these on NH Downloadables (Libby) and am starting the third. The series takes place in a version of London that is overrun with dangerous ghosts, only able to be fought and destroyed by people young enough not to have outgrown their psychic abilities. The main books follow Lucy, an initially homeless teen girl trying to make a living with her psychic ability. The first book was truly creepy, for anyone who’s looking for a good scare. The second one was as spine tingling but it’s still good, and I expect to listen to the first four books at least (there are six so far.) This is also a TV show streaming now on Netflix.
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen. This is a charming, surprising book about a South Carolina courtyard community and its “birds,” which are both the local turquoise “dellawisps” and also metaphors for a number of other things. It should appeal to fans of Alice Hoffman since it’s magical realism. I don’t always enjoy magical realism and I still got into it and recommend it. This book does not haunt you or ask a lot of you, but that’s fine and it’s a sweet story.
The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong. I expected to love this, since it juxtaposed the first female librarians of WWI and the first women in the Naval Academy in the 1970s and connected them with a letter (I still write, and love receiving, letters.) But I had to work to get into it and never quite did. It was almost halfway through the book when you find out how the two stories are connected, and it wasn’t that compelling. I did find it interesting to learn that the war librarians were required by the ALA to censor books about war, from their readers. Intellectual freedom is now a tenet of the ALA. (American Library Association.)
The Last Party by Clare Macintosh. This is the newest book by the author of Let Me Lie, I See You, and I Let You Go. Most of her books are suspense/mystery and she uses her past experience as a police officer in her writing. They are all readable and satisfying, this one included.
Carrie Soto is Back and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Seven Husbands became “TikTok famous” and got very popular in our library for a bit. While it was checked out, I read Carrie Soto and got hooked, then read Seven Husbands eventually and enjoyed it too. It seemed to me that both were fictionalized versions of famous women, based very loosely on (respectively) tennis player Serena Williams and actress Elizabeth Taylor, exploring their experiences navigating career, the media and relationships. They both hooked my interest and didn’t let it go, though I personally preferred Carrie Soto because I was less interested in the soap opera aspects of Seven Husbands. I plan to read all of Reid’s other books.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. We got this book in August after a patron recommended it, and it took me till February to read it because it was so constantly checked out. Every single person told us how good it was, and it did not disappoint. The only slightly negative feedback was “I wasn’t sure I liked that the dog could talk.” Since the book is about a woman scientist pioneer attempting to pursue a career in the 1960s, I was taken aback there was apparently a talking dog. When I read it, I learned the dog can’t actually talk but is given a depth of characterization and intelligence that is probably unrealistic to expect from a dog. I personally loved it. This book is out now, with a reserve list, so I’m buying a second copy. Let us know at the desk if you want to read it.
I loved this book enough that I sent a copy to my scientist niece. The book is charming and funny. Despite setbacks in her career, the protagonist, Elizabeth, prevails.
Lara Berry
2 years ago
Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me by Ralph Macchio is one of three memoirs about show business I have read recently (scroll down to see the other two.) I watched The Karate Kid in the theatre when I was in fifth grade and Ralph Macchio was my first celebrity crush! I adored him and all three movies, so it is strange that as an adult I had only re-watched the first one and had no interest in the series Cobra Kai when it began. This memoir changed all that. I am now re-watching the first three movies with my husband on our Friday night movie nights (checking them out from the library) and plan to view the series as well when we’re through. Considering how dated many 1980s movies are, it is impressive how well the first two movies held up. If you loved them then, you probably will still love them now! And this memoir is a wonderful tribute to the movies and a great set-up to enjoy the show.
Lara Berry
2 years ago
I read Alan Rickman’s Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman shortly after Tom Felton’s memoir about Harry Potter, because they both came out in 2022, and found the juxtaposition very funny. Alan Rickman summed up his Harry Potter experiences in maybe 7 sentences in the entire book, most of which were complaints about directors or the provided food! Felton’s memoir is nostalgic and includes a witty, admiring anecdote about acting with Rickman. There is no comparable insight in Rickman’s, just one offhand mention of him. Felton probably felt he was lucky to be overlooked, given Rickman’s opinion of Daniel Radcliffe (the actor who played “Harry Potter”) “I don’t think he’s really an actor.” The title “madly, deeply” is a misnomer for these entries, which are rarely emotional, but they are interesting. I would not have guessed he would enjoy drawing (a few of his colorful pages are included), or prefer the pastime of watching dumb television to reading! I was frequently shocked by his sharp commentary about movies, plays and other actors, but he was as hard on his own work as everyone else. He thought his movie Die Hard was excellent, though, which I enjoyed learning. Both this book and Felton’s have wonderfully kind introductions written by their friends and respective “Emmas”: Emma Thompson and Emma Watson. Thompson’s provides what fans of Rickman might be most interested in; his diary is not the easiest thing to get through, especially if you want your illusions about the charm and signficance of Harry Potter left intact!
Lara Berry
2 years ago
Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton. This memoir from Tom Felton “Draco Malfoy” in the Harry Potter movies details what it was like to grow up in the Harry Potter world but not as one of the top three (Harry, Ron and Hermione.) He had more of a normal life than they did in many ways, and writes from a nuanced perspective. This was a satisfying and touching read. Any Harry Potter fan, or memoir buff, will find this interesting.
Brittany Post
2 years ago
Milk and Juice: a Recycling Romance is the 2022 Ladybug award winner! The story tells the impactful use of recycling and shows how many times an object can be reused in different ways. The illustrations are beautiful and help you connect to the story in a meaningful way.
I haven’t read Blowback yet. I got two copies because of the popularity of James Patterson and NH author Brendan DuBois and right now they’re both checked out. The premise is what would happen if the president of the US turned out to be a psychopath. I don’t read much Patterson but I want to read this one because of the partnership with DuBois. I’ve read the books Patterson partnered with the Clintons to write, and enjoyed them.
The TikTok inspired Colleen Hoover craze caused me to read this book, It Ends With Us. I had read Verity and not particularly liked it but I tried this one too. I found it a bit more believable and less disturbing than Verity, but I think I’m done reading her books. No judgment against anyone who likes them. They are easy reads, and we all need those sometimes!
I was listening to the juvenile fantasy Skin of the Sea on NHDB using the Libby app at the time of the backlash about the live action Little Mermaid casting a Black actress. The book is well written and vivid, crammed with West African mythology including mermaids or “Mami Wata.” There were times I felt it was too crammed, that maybe the main characters didn’t need to interact with every single West African mythological being in their journey! But it was a fresh angle on the Little Mermaid tale and of interest to anyone who is interested in African culture.
This addictively charming graphic novel Lore Olympus series depicts a modern-day version of the romance between Hades, god of the Underworld and Persephone, goddess of Spring. The characters are endearing and the artwork dreamy and sweet. We have the first two books in the library and I am eagerly awaiting book 3.
Last edited 2 years ago by Lara Berry
Brittany Post
2 years ago
The Counselors is an intriguing YA realistic fiction. The setting is a summer camp in the middle of nowhere Vermont. I am only half way through and can’t put it down!!
Free WiFi Location
In My Time of Dying, Sebastian Junger. This book was written by the author of Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging, a book that profoundly affected my understanding of PTSD. Junger is not dying but had a near-death experience and this is his description of it, from both subjective and scientific perspectives. It overlaps quite a bit with the descriptions in Hadley Vlahos’s book about death (next Book Bite, scroll down) but has more science, which is surprising since she is a nurse, but typical of Junger who tends to be a technical writer. Her book is lighter and a more inspiring read, but both are thought-provoking, meaningful books, and on the short side (so is Tribe!) if you’re looking to squeeze in one more read during Summer Reading!
The In-Between, Hadley Vlahos, RN. This book was recommended to me by a library patron upon learning I’ve been affected by several deaths of people and animals close to me in the last few years. It was written by a hospice nurse about near-death encounters and what she describes as striking similarities between the final moments of most of her patients. I found the book fascinating and comforting.
It is available to check out at the library.
The Briar Club, Kate Quinn. I am surprised I haven’t reviewed any of her books here before. The Diamond Eye, The Rose Code and The Alice Network are all excellent historical novels, set in times in history when the roles of women were in transition. All are available to check out at the library, some on audio CD as well. The Briar Club is her most recent book and it starts off a little bloodier and more whimsical than her usual style (the house is depicted as sentient) but still meeting my expectations as interesting and engaging.
Moby Dick by Herman Melville. I am reading this because I have never read it before. It is one of our library patrons’ favorite books, and he brought in his own copy telling me to read it. It is 600 pages so he may not get it back any time soon, but I am enjoying it more than I did the first time I tried it years ago. The narrator’s storytelling is fun. I have read a review about it describing it as a book about “evil,” and that Melville himself described the book itself as “evil,” and so far I don’t see what that is pertaining to but I’m only about a third in. I’ll update when I finish it.
PS we own a copy at the library, as well as an audiobook and a film version starring William Hurt as Captain Ahab.
Summer Book Club, Susan Mallery. I checked it out at the library. This was an enjoyable, light read.
Funny Story by Emily Henry. I checked this out of the library. It is my first Emily Henry book, and I’m already reading another one, Happy Place. Both are great summer reads: lighthearted, humorous romances with clever dialogue. They are also both being adapted into movies.
“The Watchmaker’s Daughter” by C.J. Archer is the first book of the British mystery Glass & Steele series (not to be confused with the recent WWII book of the same name by Larry Loftis.) I listened to this series on audio from Hoopla, and then went on to listen to her other series on Hoopla (the Glass Library series and Cleopatria Fox series). They are light historical mysteries with minimal violence and sex, some have mild paranormal content.
“Romancing Mister Bridgerton” by Julia Quinn is the fourth book in the Bridgerton series, which correlates with the third season of the Netflix show, out this month (May 2024.) It’s also a pivotal book in the series because it involves the reveal of Lady Whistledown. The books are fun, light romance reads, although the first book has a problematic sex scene that was thankfully changed in the show.
This is the most recent and final novel of Katherine Min, published posthumously, after a lengthy battle with cancer. I read it and her first novel, Secondhand World, primarily because she was the professor in a few writing courses I took at Plymouth State University in my MEd. Both books are very good, and this one defied my expectations, I could not put it down. In many ways it’s a modern day “Lolita” but told from multiple perspectives and about so much more than the young woman/old man dynamic, despite the title. Katherine was writing this book when I knew her and it’s surreal to read it only now once she’s gone.
The Hunter, by Tana French, is the sequel to The Searcher, which came out in 2020 and was a New York Times and NPR Best Book of the Year. I read it and loved it, and then had to find all of her other books to read them: the series “Dublin Murder Squad.” I enjoyed those two but preferred The Searcher, which takes place in the Irish countryside vs. the city. I was excited to read the sequel and it did not disappoint. I hope she writes more of these. They are murder mysteries but grapple with many other themes, making them literary and complex rather than formulaic and cutesy. (Not knocking those genres, I just like these more!) We have both of her books and several of the DMS books available to check out if you like them.
I normally don’t do a Book Bite about our book group books, but this time I wanted to so I could recommend it. I read this on one of the copies in the “Reads To Go” kit we got for the group, there is also an eBook and audiobook on NH Downloadables/ Libby and I will be purchasing one for the library. This is a nonfiction book about Willie Grimes, who served twenty four years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. The title of the book and the cover make this book look very bleak, but it was not a depressing reading experience. It is the story not just about Willie Grimes but about North Carolina’s Innocence Inquiry Commission and its formation, which is inspiring, although also sobering because not many states have them, and that means there are many people like Willie without the opportunities he ultimately was able to benefit from. I learned a lot about the criminal justice system and found this an educational, inspiring book.
The library owns this book and its sequel, Iron Flame, by Rebecca Yarros. They are bestselling phenomenons so I have been curious about them. They are good reads for anyone who enjoys fantasy, and is okay with violence and some sexual content. They are set in a magical world similar to Anne McCaffrey’s Pern, where dragons match with riders and have telepathic connections. Unlike Pern, there is no threat to their existence other than themselves and other dragons, however, and the riders have magical abilities that are a result of the dragons’ connections. The protagonists are teens but overall the content is adult.
I read the library copy of Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, the author of Once and Future Witches. I was excited to read this since I enjoyed that book but found it a bit too long and complex. This one was shorter, so I was looking forward to the magical elements and her writing style in a quicker read. It mostly lived up to my expectations, but it reads more like a young adult book than an adult one. It is about a teen girl with no family who learns about her relationship to a creepy house and the boy who lives alone there. I didn’t find the story at all creepy though, even with some elements of danger in the house.
I know I said I was probably done reading Colleen Hoover, after two of her other books. This one is for a book group I’m in, though, and I ended up enjoying it more than I liked It Ends With Us, and Verity. It’s a love story that overlaps with the main character grieving a DWI death she caused, and reuniting with her daughter after her prison sentence. It’s a light read in spite of all that, in part because there’s no description of prison and how it would have affected the main character. If you ignore that, there are sweet moments and a nice story of redemption and reconciliation. The library owns this book and I read our copy.
I read the library’s copy of Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals, by Laurie Zaleskie. This true story intersperses cute or moving animal stories with Zaleskie’s childhood in which her mother left her abusive husband and started a life on her own terms for herself and three kids. Zaleskie ends up becoming the person who carries on her mother’s legacy of animal rescue, and runs an animal rescue non profit in New Jersey, funnyfarmrescue.org It was a good read and I enjoyed it.
I read the library’s copy of The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman. It is a story about magical time travel in which a modern reader goes back in time and falls in love with Nathaniel Hawthorne, through his book The Scarlet Letter. The concept of this appeals to me, in the sense that books connect people and transcend the barriers of time. I had a hard time suspending my disbelief about the time travel piece though, and the idea that Hawthorne as a person would have been the romantic hero that Hoffman’s main character experiences. It was a sweet story but I would have been able to get into it more if it hadn’t included a specific, real author.
Leading on Climate Change: How Health Care Leaders Stop Global Warming by Neal C. Hogan, Ph D. The author of this book is a Newington resident who recently donated a signed copy to the library. He (too humbly) made it sound esoteric, i.e. primarily applicable to emissions from healthcare systems, so I checked it out expecting a lot of it to be over my head. Instead I ended up buying my own copy so I could mark it up! His characterization of the climate crisis as a health care crisis and the book’s ensuing exploration of that thesis, is worthwhile to anyone interested in the large-scale changes needed to repair and preserve our planet’s habitability. I haven’t finished the book yet, but the library copy is back and ready to be checked out and I’d love to discuss it.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. I am a big fan of Ann Patchett’s novels usually: Bel Canto is probably my favorite and I loved The Dutch House and many others. I eagerly purchased this for our library and checked it out, and learned that 1. the main character’s name is Lara and 2. she grew up in New Hampshire and 3. I could not relate to her and did not enjoy it! I don’t think I would have liked it even if she had been named something else or lived somewhere else, but it was funny how that turned out.
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow. I read this book for a women’s book group a friend is hosting. It is a long, historical novel with a lot going on: three initially estranged sisters who are witches, rewritten fairy tales every few chapters told by different characters, a suffragette/women’s rights theme coexisting with power in the form of magic, and multiple villains. I read the library’s copy and had to read it twice to discuss it thoroughly. I recommend it for anyone who is interested in the history of women’s rights and fairy tales.
The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu. My niece recommended this YA book to me and I started listening to it on audio from Hoopla, but I didn’t like the voice of the person reading. I stopped and read the book instead, which we have at the library. It centers on a murder mystery but it is also about the potentially obsessive dynamics of teen friendships. It explores that topic very well and is “relatable” for teens or anyone who remembers that strong desire to “belong” that teens feel, sometimes to their detriment.
This novel, I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai, is by the author of The Great Believers, which was a National Book Award finalist. It’s a murder mystery but attempts to operate in a feminist way by humanizing the murder victims and shining a light on the failings of the criminal justice system when it comes to prosecuting the perpetrators. I finished the book but felt it could have been shorter, and didn’t feel it lived up to my expectations given the acclaim for her other book. I would suggest reading that one instead, and only reading this one after if you like her writing. We have both books in our collection at the library.
This touching novel Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt follows the relationships between an older cleaning woman, a 30 year old man at loose ends in his life, and an octopus! This book has been read and recommended by several of us now, including former library employee Deb K. While some aspects of the story may seem far-fetched, it’s mostly not, considering that in real life octopuses are extremely complex and intelligent creatures. Those of us who read The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery together in Book Group know that already! Now that most of our patrons have read Lessons in Chemistry, this book is my go-to recommendation. A very good book.
PS We have it at the library and it is also available on OverDrive and Hoopla in both eBook and audio.
This memoir You Could Make this Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith is by the author of the poem “Good Bones” which went viral a few years ago. The title is derived from a line in that poem. The book covers the author’s marriage and divorce during that time. I expected a happier reading experience, given the pretty cover and hopeful title, but I didn’t regret reading it or want to put it down. Spoiler Alert:
Her poem going viral and her subsequent fame was a big part of what destroyed her marriage. This is interesting reading for anyone who has pondered the influence of finances and career success on gender dynamics in heterosexual marriage.
PS We have this at the library.
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. I usually listen to YA books rather than reading them, but this one I read. It’s been on the New York Times bestseller list in the Teen category for years, which is why I picked it up. The premise is that the characters live in a world where everyone is called to be warned on the day they are going to die. The story unfolds from there with the two main characters grappling with the choice of how to spend their remaining time. The end result is a fast-paced, somewhat emotional (but not heartbreaking, despite the content) read. There is a sequel and I enjoyed this enough that I plan to read it.
PS we have both of these at the library.
The author of the memoir “The Tender Bar”, J.R. Moehringer, is the ghostwriter of Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare,” and I was curious about whether the writing style would be similar, so I read it. Moehringer writes differently as himself than Prince Harry, if anyone else is wondering! I enjoyed this memoir a lot. The bar depicted is reminiscent of the “Cheers” TV show setting, where “everybody knows your name.” This is a coming of age story and also an exploration of different kinds of masculinity, mostly wholesome, despite the boozy atmosphere.
PS we have this at the library.
I am on a Taylor Jenkins Reid kick! “Carrie Soto is Back” is still my favorite, but I really liked “Daisy Jones and the Six” too. It is written in an unusual way, in snippets supposed to be from interviews with the characters, but after a few pages I was into it and had no trouble following it. I watched a couple episodes of the Amazon Prime show based on it and liked them, although I didn’t get hooked and I liked the book much better.
PS we have this at the library.
I read “Spare” by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex expecting a lot of the book to be about the rupture between him and his family after his marriage to Meghan Markle, but the majority of the book was about his childhood and upbringing. His description of the impact of his mother’s life and death was touching, as I was a fan. I sympathized with his story and understood his desire to tell his side.
PS we have this at the library in regular and large print.
Ace of Spades by British Nigerian writer Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. Yes, I had to copy and paste her name, no way I could have spelled it myself. I listened to this young adult novel on Libby, and really liked it. It is a suspense novel that borrows heavily from the horror movie Get Out, and it also has some of the narrative mechanisms from the tv show Gossip Girl. It’s smart with a lot of twists and turns, and two protagonists I rooted for throughout the book.
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I generally post new titles on this page and this one’s been out for a while, but it came highly recommended by two different readers. It is a retelling of the Iliad told from Patrocles’ perspective and won the Orange Prize for Fiction. It’s by the same author as Circe, which we read in Book Group. I absolutely love both of these books, although I “got into” Circe faster than Song of Achilles. You will need tissues for this one, I had a very good cry at the end.
The German Wife, by Kelly Rimmer. Historical fiction about two families during and after WW2, in Germany and America. A couple of our patrons recommended this to me so I read it. This novel addresses the troubling fact that Nazi scientists found a haven in the U.S. after the war if they seemed to have potential to advance our country. It also grapples with ethical questions about how people can be swayed to allow or perpetuate atrocities if they believe they are protecting their families. The nove doesn’t draw hard lines but explores moral ambiguities and poses interesting questions for the reader.
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. I have read some of her other books and liked them, but this is my favorite so far. Part family drama, part mystery, and laugh out loud funny at times. I listened to it from Hoopla and the narrator brought the book completely to life.
I have not read this one personally even though it has been on my T.B.R. since it has been on our shelves. A friend of mine read it and these were their thoughts: “The Science of Being Angry by Nicole Melleby is a great read for tweens to adults! Good insight into anger!”
The Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend. I listened to the first of these books, The Trials of Morrigan Crow, on NH Downloadables (Libby) and when the next one wasn’t available right away I actually bought an Audible subscription just to continue it. I listened to the third on NHDB when it was ready. I haven’t been this hooked on a juvenile/young adult series since Harry Potter. There are strong similarities to HP, like an essentially orphaned protagonist “Morrigan Crow” and a magic boarding school in a world she doesn’t initially realize exists. Like Harry, she is singled out by an adult villain, has a guiding mentor like Dumbledore (a younger, livelier guy named Jupiter North) and makes enviable friendships that become family. The characters and plot are original, the writing is dynamic, and I am eagerly awaiting the fourth (out of seven!) book out later this year.
Lockwood & Co series by Johnathan Stroud. I have listened to the first two of these on NH Downloadables (Libby) and am starting the third. The series takes place in a version of London that is overrun with dangerous ghosts, only able to be fought and destroyed by people young enough not to have outgrown their psychic abilities. The main books follow Lucy, an initially homeless teen girl trying to make a living with her psychic ability. The first book was truly creepy, for anyone who’s looking for a good scare. The second one was as spine tingling but it’s still good, and I expect to listen to the first four books at least (there are six so far.) This is also a TV show streaming now on Netflix.
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen. This is a charming, surprising book about a South Carolina courtyard community and its “birds,” which are both the local turquoise “dellawisps” and also metaphors for a number of other things. It should appeal to fans of Alice Hoffman since it’s magical realism. I don’t always enjoy magical realism and I still got into it and recommend it. This book does not haunt you or ask a lot of you, but that’s fine and it’s a sweet story.
The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong. I expected to love this, since it juxtaposed the first female librarians of WWI and the first women in the Naval Academy in the 1970s and connected them with a letter (I still write, and love receiving, letters.) But I had to work to get into it and never quite did. It was almost halfway through the book when you find out how the two stories are connected, and it wasn’t that compelling. I did find it interesting to learn that the war librarians were required by the ALA to censor books about war, from their readers. Intellectual freedom is now a tenet of the ALA. (American Library Association.)
The Last Party by Clare Macintosh. This is the newest book by the author of Let Me Lie, I See You, and I Let You Go. Most of her books are suspense/mystery and she uses her past experience as a police officer in her writing. They are all readable and satisfying, this one included.
Carrie Soto is Back and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Seven Husbands became “TikTok famous” and got very popular in our library for a bit. While it was checked out, I read Carrie Soto and got hooked, then read Seven Husbands eventually and enjoyed it too. It seemed to me that both were fictionalized versions of famous women, based very loosely on (respectively) tennis player Serena Williams and actress Elizabeth Taylor, exploring their experiences navigating career, the media and relationships. They both hooked my interest and didn’t let it go, though I personally preferred Carrie Soto because I was less interested in the soap opera aspects of Seven Husbands. I plan to read all of Reid’s other books.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. We got this book in August after a patron recommended it, and it took me till February to read it because it was so constantly checked out. Every single person told us how good it was, and it did not disappoint. The only slightly negative feedback was “I wasn’t sure I liked that the dog could talk.” Since the book is about a woman scientist pioneer attempting to pursue a career in the 1960s, I was taken aback there was apparently a talking dog. When I read it, I learned the dog can’t actually talk but is given a depth of characterization and intelligence that is probably unrealistic to expect from a dog. I personally loved it. This book is out now, with a reserve list, so I’m buying a second copy. Let us know at the desk if you want to read it.
I loved this book enough that I sent a copy to my scientist niece. The book is charming and funny. Despite setbacks in her career, the protagonist, Elizabeth, prevails.
Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me by Ralph Macchio is one of three memoirs about show business I have read recently (scroll down to see the other two.) I watched The Karate Kid in the theatre when I was in fifth grade and Ralph Macchio was my first celebrity crush! I adored him and all three movies, so it is strange that as an adult I had only re-watched the first one and had no interest in the series Cobra Kai when it began. This memoir changed all that. I am now re-watching the first three movies with my husband on our Friday night movie nights (checking them out from the library) and plan to view the series as well when we’re through. Considering how dated many 1980s movies are, it is impressive how well the first two movies held up. If you loved them then, you probably will still love them now! And this memoir is a wonderful tribute to the movies and a great set-up to enjoy the show.
I read Alan Rickman’s Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman shortly after Tom Felton’s memoir about Harry Potter, because they both came out in 2022, and found the juxtaposition very funny. Alan Rickman summed up his Harry Potter experiences in maybe 7 sentences in the entire book, most of which were complaints about directors or the provided food! Felton’s memoir is nostalgic and includes a witty, admiring anecdote about acting with Rickman. There is no comparable insight in Rickman’s, just one offhand mention of him. Felton probably felt he was lucky to be overlooked, given Rickman’s opinion of Daniel Radcliffe (the actor who played “Harry Potter”) “I don’t think he’s really an actor.” The title “madly, deeply” is a misnomer for these entries, which are rarely emotional, but they are interesting. I would not have guessed he would enjoy drawing (a few of his colorful pages are included), or prefer the pastime of watching dumb television to reading! I was frequently shocked by his sharp commentary about movies, plays and other actors, but he was as hard on his own work as everyone else. He thought his movie Die Hard was excellent, though, which I enjoyed learning. Both this book and Felton’s have wonderfully kind introductions written by their friends and respective “Emmas”: Emma Thompson and Emma Watson. Thompson’s provides what fans of Rickman might be most interested in; his diary is not the easiest thing to get through, especially if you want your illusions about the charm and signficance of Harry Potter left intact!
Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton. This memoir from Tom Felton “Draco Malfoy” in the Harry Potter movies details what it was like to grow up in the Harry Potter world but not as one of the top three (Harry, Ron and Hermione.) He had more of a normal life than they did in many ways, and writes from a nuanced perspective. This was a satisfying and touching read. Any Harry Potter fan, or memoir buff, will find this interesting.
Milk and Juice: a Recycling Romance is the 2022 Ladybug award winner! The story tells the impactful use of recycling and shows how many times an object can be reused in different ways. The illustrations are beautiful and help you connect to the story in a meaningful way.
I haven’t read Blowback yet. I got two copies because of the popularity of James Patterson and NH author Brendan DuBois and right now they’re both checked out. The premise is what would happen if the president of the US turned out to be a psychopath. I don’t read much Patterson but I want to read this one because of the partnership with DuBois. I’ve read the books Patterson partnered with the Clintons to write, and enjoyed them.
The TikTok inspired Colleen Hoover craze caused me to read this book, It Ends With Us. I had read Verity and not particularly liked it but I tried this one too. I found it a bit more believable and less disturbing than Verity, but I think I’m done reading her books. No judgment against anyone who likes them. They are easy reads, and we all need those sometimes!
I was listening to the juvenile fantasy Skin of the Sea on NHDB using the Libby app at the time of the backlash about the live action Little Mermaid casting a Black actress. The book is well written and vivid, crammed with West African mythology including mermaids or “Mami Wata.” There were times I felt it was too crammed, that maybe the main characters didn’t need to interact with every single West African mythological being in their journey! But it was a fresh angle on the Little Mermaid tale and of interest to anyone who is interested in African culture.
This addictively charming graphic novel Lore Olympus series depicts a modern-day version of the romance between Hades, god of the Underworld and Persephone, goddess of Spring. The characters are endearing and the artwork dreamy and sweet. We have the first two books in the library and I am eagerly awaiting book 3.
The Counselors is an intriguing YA realistic fiction. The setting is a summer camp in the middle of nowhere Vermont. I am only half way through and can’t put it down!!