Loyalty Over Royalty

Please say you’ve checked out our holiday gift guide. Rae has outdone herself once again! You know who else has outdone themselves? Nita Prose. If you’ve been reading our blog for any length of time, you know we’re loyal readers. Because loyalty over royalty. We follow authors we love (and like for that matter). I think it’s safe to say we were a little surprised by Nita Prose initially. Her debut novel The Maid was quirky, surprising, and suspenseful. It was thought proving too. The best part of her debut? Her central character Molly Gray. Molly processes the world differently than you and me. She’s hyper literal and her social skills don’t shine like the silver she polishes. But her attention to detail is off the astute charts. I’m here to tell you Molly was just as endearing the second go around.

If you haven’t met Molly, you really should. These books can be read independent of one another, but I recommend meeting Molly in The Maid. Molly’s insane attention to detail helped her crack a murder case that occurred in her place of employment—The five-star Regency Grand Hotel. When a famous author dies during a press conference at the Regency Grand, Molly’s innate sleuthing skills kick in once again and become the premise for The Mystery Guest. If you’re lucky enough to find a silent night this holiday season, pull up a chair by the fire and cozy up with “the most charming amateur sleuth in modern literature.”

Posted by Tracy

Mo' Money, Mo' Problems

It’s Thursday. Let’s throw it back because it’s been ages since we’ve given an oldie a nod. This go around, I picked a 2017 narrative nonfiction. Why you ask? Leo DiCaprio—that’s my answer. That’s why I chose to give Killers of the Flower Moon a listen. Books first, film adaptations second.

I hate to cry ignorance here, but I was completely unaware of the plight of the oil-rich Osage Indians. How did I miss this? Was I sleeping in history when Mr. Gordon taught the Osage were the richest people per capita in the world over a century ago. Yes, that said richest. Turns out a permanent reservation purchased by the Osage in north central Oklahoma was golden ground. They couldn’t have known they put targets on their backs when they negotiated a deal with the US government. (Every full-blooded Osage received an allotment of land, including headrights in the community mineral trust.) White opportunists married Osage Indians to get at their money. Murders ensued. Lots of them. (The mysterious murders led to the inception of the FBI.) Everyone should learn about The Reign of Terror. David Grann’s bestseller proves a good teacher.

P.S. I was so glad to learn that I was not the only one in the dark here—one reviewer shared this:

I came to learn more about the FBI’s past but turns out this book is much more about the true story of what was once one of the most famous periods of time in American history but has now been forgotten: an oil boom led a native tribe to become the richest people per capita in the world and then they started getting murdered. It’s amazing true crime storytelling and an important part of history that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Oh my, here’s another p.s.—I listened to KFM. Sharee and I both agreed this makes for a better read. (Sorry narrators.)

Posted by Tracy

Your Life is Your Magnum Opus

“We all die, but some of us—those who are blessed or maybe just lucky—have the opportunity before that end to be redeemed. We can let go, forgive others, and also forgive ourselves for the worst of what we are or have been.”

Currently, I have a crush on William Kent Kruger. I’m smitten with his rich perspective and captivated by his sapient storytelling. He’s a dreamy writer. I just finished his latest, The River We Remember, and I’m so sad it’s over. Of course, stories must end—I know this—but it doesn’t get any easier to let characters knit inside your heart go. It’s as if Kruger inserts bright, breathing fictional people into my heart, wraps them counterclockwise around my soul, and pulls them through me. A part of me wanted to stay put in Jewel, Minnesota. (I kept hitting repeat on the sleep timer deep into the night to coexist there, and I’ve got the eye bags to prove it!)

I can still remember the small town feeling I had when I read To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time. Harper Lee transformed the South into a memorable character. Kruger has the same gift. A beautiful landscape is his muse. In 1958, Jewel is a homey place—of course, the town gossip is as good as gospel. When wealthy Jimmy Quinn’s body, full of buckshot, is found in the Alabaster River, there’s no stoppin’ the rumors. Prejudices, not long buried, surface. Sheriff Brody Dern arrests a Native American Vet who looks good for the murder but refuses to plead one way or another. The story revolves around solving Quinn’s murder. But Kruger’s real focus has more to do with “the wounds left by the wars we fight abroad and at home.” My crush isn’t afraid to confront the fact that we’re all broken. Much of being human means finding ways to heal. Kruger is too good. The River We Remember is beautifully written. Some have suggested this may be Kruger’s magnum opus—you’ll need to visit Jewel to decide for yourself. You’ll be incredibly glad you did.

Posted by Tracy

Brainy New Thriller

“Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them.” ― Francesco Guicciardini

That’s right, Francesco. Never lose a chance to make friends—in life and in books. I’ve made some awesome friends this year, by way of new authors and new characters. I’m gonna hang onto James McBride. Without a doubt. Of course, Jacqueline Winspear is a keeper, so is Clare Pooley. John Boyne too. Angie Kim is my latest newfound friend and I’m thoroughly pleased with my find. Thanks to Ann Napolitano for shining a light on Kim via high praise: “I fell in love with the fascinating brilliant family at the center of this riveting book.” Jodi Picoult pitched in with, “I read this in a single day…a story with so many twists and turns I was riveted through the last page.”

Happiness Falls was riveting for sure. Angie Kim’s second novel revolves around a memorable family consisting of a Korean mother, a linguist who works full-time and who babies 14-year-old Eugene—her youngest son with a double diagnosis of Angelman syndrome and autism. Adam (an American) is a caring father. He finished up his career to stay at home and care for speechless Eugene. Adam vanishes one day on his morning hike with Eugene, and so the mystery begins. The twins, Mia and John, are beyond bright; they’re gifted. They work together to crack the disappearance (or is it a murder) case. Deeply analytical Mia narrates the story—she has the best shot as solving the mystery.  You’ll be engrossed. In the words of Charles Barkley, I gua-ran-tee it!

*Reader beware: Mia drops more than her fair share of f-bombs!

Posted by Tracy

R.E.A.D.

“B.E.A.C.H.: Best Escape Anyone Can Have.”

I’ve been promising myself a much-needed trip to a beach. Funny, I can’t seem to find my way to the sand and the sea. (Funny, not funny.) I need an escape right about now. Since I can’t seem to get to the shore’s edge, I decided the next best escape is a R.E.A.D.: Rewarding Escape Anyone (and Everyone) Deserves. It seemed fitting to choose a beach read, and while Emily Henry’s book by the same name came to mind, I went with Barbara Davis this time. (My girl Devron mentioned Davis when I saw her last.) So I downloaded The Echo of Old Books and dove in.

For me, it’s hard to resist a book about books. I appreciated rare book dealer Ashlyn Greer for obvious reasons. Thankfully, she let her superpower—the ability to feel the emotions of previous book owners by simply touching a book’s cover—be her guide. When she stumbles across two leather-bound, self-published books with the same look, her bookish spidey-senses get a pins-and-needles tingle. She uncovers a sad romance rolled into a decades-old mystery. Tired as I am, I did unravel the mysterious part of the novel before it was revealed. No bother. This is a beach read after all. I wouldn’t call The Echo of Old Books “the best escape anyone can have”—but with the sun, a light breeze, and the sound of the ocean as a paradisical backdrop, you’ll enjoy Barbara Davis’s latest. I especially relished the quotes from The Care and Feeding of Old Books at the start of Ashlyn’s chapters; let’s end with one of those: “Books are rib and spine, blood and ink, the stuff of dreams dreamed and lives lived. One page, one day, one journey at a time.”

Posted by Tracy

It’s Hard Bein’ In Charge

“Finding the good inside can often come from asking ourselves one simple question: ‘What is my most generous interpretation of what just happened?’”

“Being a parent is like folding a fitted sheet: no one really knows how to do it.” That line will preach. I currently have a four-year-old and a one-year-old, and I feel as if I’m taking one step forward and two steps backward…on the daily!

Enter Dr. Becky Kennedy. You may know her from her infamous Tik Toks and Instagrams about how to set healthy boundaries with your children. But did you know that she’s written a parenting book? With her lifetime of knowledge, Kennedy’s Good Inside focuses less on shaming parents and more on informing them about understanding children through connection. Her central premise revolves around the simple belief that all humans—children, parents, caregivers, any human out there—are good inside. That’s it! Simple and straightforward.

Dr. Kennedy’s book was both informative AND uplifting. The part I found most applicable was about building “Connection Capital,” a currency in which you earn your children’s time and trust. As parents, we are the biggest spenders of this capital because we are constantly asking them to do things that they don’t want to do—like leaving parties or playdates, stopping a behavior, transitioning to another activity, and other stuff they don’t enjoy. (It’s hard bein’ in charge.) Because parents spend so much of this currency with their children, they, in turn, must be the largest earners. I felt like that was a terrific metaphor to underscore the emotional work that parents have to put in with their children on the daily grind.

While Dr. Kennedy gave many options for building connection, I wish she would’ve broken it down like Nelly Furtado a little bit more and talked to me beyond just Sayin’ It Right. (A little shoutout to my Millennial readers right there.) Some concrete examples on how to set boundaries and deliver consequences would’ve been helpful for a novice parent like me. Four out of five stars for this book and some really solid parenting advice.

Posted by Michelle

Bruce Bogtrotter, Let’s Eat Cake!

“A little magic can take you a long way.”  Roald Dahl

Don’t think for one minute we’re going to let today melt into tomorrow without wishing Roald Dahl a Splendiferous Birthday! If anyone should’ve lived productively to the ripe age of 107, it’s Lofty. Angels above, please give that man some heavenly chocolate. And a yellow notepad with an HB pencil for the happy occasion. I beg you. Just now, I learned that old Roald had some of his favorite things buried with him—you know, like the Vikings. Any guesses as to his “grave goods”? He went with a fine burgundy wine, a few snooker cues, his HB pencils, and a power saw. (A power saw…that man!) Oh, and chocolate of course, from Charlie’s factory no doubt. How about a moment of silence for the giganticus author?

Speaking of giganticus authors, can we talk about one of Rae’s faves for a minute? In 2019, when Rachel recommended Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House, she professed she was “well on her way to becoming a solid fan.” I think it’s safe to say her admiration for A.P. has fully grown. I know mine has. (I’m pretty sure the dog lovin’, prize-winning author, and independent bookstore owner is living our dream.) I really enjoyed Patchett’s latest: Tom Lake. The year is 2020. The setting is a tight-knit family’s cherry farm in gorgeous Northern Michigan. The protagonist is a modern-day mother who tells her three twenty-something daughters (home to pick cherries to sustain the farm and their family during COVID) about how she dated a movie star (in embryo) when she was their age. That probably doesn’t sound overly exciting. But we’re talking about Ann Patchett here—who can make the smallness of life look both beautiful and desirable. (I love her faith in human goodness.) She lassos nostalgia and infuses it into her relatable pages. If you’re in the mood for “a thoughtful, elegiac tale [that] celebrates the ordinary and anxieties of first love, family, and fateful choices,” this one’s for you.

P.S. Be sure to listen to this book—Meryl Streep’s performance was genius. It was, not surprisingly, a little [audible] magic!

Posted by Tracy