Kathleen
Her comfort book is Jane Austen's Persuasion, and when not feeding that obsession, tilts towards our staff rec’s section for her next read. Apparently drawing on Sir Edmund Hillary’s reason for climbing Mt. Everest, she’s decided to learn Polish. After sort of becoming an adult in Michigan, she’s been slowly migrating west ever since. She claims no current plan to end up in Neah Bay.
This novel will take you into some dark places. Lena Johnson describes being in a black body in Michigan in our current time. Her twisted science lab experience makes you question the re-exploitation of societies' exploited over and over again, and for what? In times like these when the systems are clearly crumbling at the base, who profits at who's cost is a tale as old as time.
The novel is translated from French, takes place mostly in Quebec, and follows the Lamontagne family through the 20th century. Catholic guilt abounds and each character must deal with the sins of the previous generations and add their own to the list, each in their own ways. When the novel takes a left turn to Berlin there may be connections to times past. It might have to do with the early 20th century arrival, the American fiancée. Broad in scope, compelling throughout, and filled with comic voice. ~ Kathleen
These are all manuscripts you’ve encountered before. Accessible, beautiful and presented in full color, they may make you may feel as though you’re turning the pages of the Book of Kells, too. De Hamel’s commentary is enriched by deep scholarship
Wilson writes his coming of age story in which Lillian manages to treat her two charges with dignity and love, and, in doing so, begins to treats herself with the same all while wising up to the fact that these two self-immolating children are not what they seem. A must for folks looking for an easy dark comedy read with tons of heart!
Arana tells the resilient and often violent history of a huge part of the world through three contemporary experiences, a miner, a criminal, and a Catholic priest. While the history of a quarter of the globe cannot be contained by this less-than-500-page volume, for those of us seeking a mostly mindful introduction to the region, this volume cannot be missed. Throughout all, the natural beauty, rich history, and, hope for this region and her people shines through.
Go ahead and read this wacky, laugh-out-loud novel of the apocalypse, told by a crow named ST in Seattle, and let all the MoFos (ST’s name for humans) see you cackling to yourself. Buxton's book proves again that the essence of humanity is friendship, which is what’s worth fighting for in the end.
New Yorker staff writer, Jezebel alum, (and millennial) Tolentino writes each of her nine essays in the vein of Lindy West, with each one to be chewed-on and digested, maybe even read again. Trick Mirror's stand out essays were The Cult of Old Virginia, where UVA grapples with false rape accusations amidst nation-wide conversations about campus assault and the #MeToo movement, and The Story of a Generation in Seven Scams, which paints the state of many a millennial mind without too much apathy and a small dose of schadenfreude.
This novel of rural Appalachia is told from the perspective of four characters—Perley, a seven-year old, and the three women who surround him—providing a unique worldview of a life eked out. Rich imaginations and strong personalities collide in a back-to-the-earth story of folks making a life with the bare necessities, and Seattle native Ffitch does them all justice in beautiful prose.
Researched and authored by Nobel laureate Alexievitch, this collection of witness accounts from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 tells of the evacuations of Pripyat, the first responders, and the liquidators-those who chose two minutes in the exclusion zone versus service in Afghanistan-in the immediate aftermath, the first few critical weeks, and beyond. The collective memory of the world's worst nuclear disaster and governmental interference serves as a reminder that this could happen, no matter the regime and no matter the politics. The book provided source material for HBO's Chernobyl, and recalls Hanford and other inadequate nuclear solutions.
Buckley takes his two unlikely, albeit likable, heroes on a romp through colonial New England, where you almost find yourself rooting for the British crown! The novel captures the dour characters of Puritan and Dutch New England in witty and oftentimes humorous prose as our Judge Hunters search for two judges hiding in New England, initially sought for signing a death warrant for Charles I. However, there may be other motives for their search. A great read for lovers of historical fiction and fun mysteries.
Lockwood grew up as the daughter of a Catholic priest-the titular Priestdaddy-who converted from being an Episcopal priest and so kept his family. In her early adulthood, Patricia and her husband move home to her parents due to health issues, and she discovers not much has changed since moving out in her teens. The reader doesn't get the feeling that Lockwood feels sorry for herself. Lockwood begins to rebuild her relationship with her parents, all while wrangling her family's story into bizarre, moving, yet often hilarious prose. A worthwhile read for anyone, lapsed Catholic or not.
