The Highly Effective Detective by Richard Yancy

Currently out of print, but readily available to borrow from the Milwaukee County Federated Library System is the Highly Effective Detective from Richard Yancy. Teddy Ruzak is the hilarious, naive, not the brightest yer keenly observant, Highly Effective Detective. Teddy has been skating through life as a security guard for over a decade after failing out of the police academy. His mother has recently died, and he has inherited enough money to open his own agency. Of course, Teddy didn't check state regulations on licensing and has no actual experience or knowledge in detective work, yet he manages to stay afloat with the help of his friend/secretary and his uncanny ability to observe. His first case involves a hit and run incident and the poor victims are baby geese. The client/eyewitness was so upset at the time that all he noticed about the vehicle is that it was a black SUV. This SUV ends up leading to a much more deadly case. Yancy's book is plot-driven with a suspenseful tone and very amusing dialogue. Readers that enjoy Diane Mott Davidson, Martha Grimes, Roberts Parker, and Spencer Quinn might also enjoy this book.

The After Party by Anton DiSclafani

It's 1957 in Houston, Texas where the days are long, hot, and  money is to be made in the Texan oil fields. While the men are off working in the oilfields or for large oil companies, the women live a high society kind of life focused on debutante balls, garden club meetings, beautiful dresses, and perfectly decorated homes. Living this lavish lifestyle are two best friends Joan and Cece. Joan has always been beautiful and sought after and Cece has always tried to stay out of the limelight, while acting as Joan's protector. When Joan's life begins to spiral out of control shrouded in secrets, Cece is the one left trying to put the pieces back together, even if it risks losing her marriage.

The After Party is a beautifully written photograph of the late 1950s, showcasing secrets, female friendship, love, and sexuality.

Talking As Fast As I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham

Perhaps best known as Lorelai Gilmore from the beloved TV show Gilmore Girls, Lauren Graham has put together a collection of essays revealing stories about life, love, her successful career in showbusiness, and quite literally, everything in between. Talking As Fast As I Can starts with Lauren looking back on and sharing pictures from her childhood, her relationship with her parents, and starting out as an actress in small plays and shows. In her essays on life and love in showbusiness, Graham writes how difficult it is to be a female in a male dominated profession, shares what it's like falling in love with former Parenthood co-star Peter Krause, and just exactly how her made-up character Old Lady Jackson feels about the constantly connected world we all live in.

Perhaps most exciting of all in Graham's book are the two chapters she writes about what the Gilmore Girls meant to her. For avid Gilmore Girls fans, the chapter entitled "What It Was Like, Part One" features Graham sharing her thoughts about playing Lorelai, her fellow castmates, and life in Stars Hollow the first time around. In true Lorelai fashion, Graham spends the last chapter of her book fast-talking about Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life and how much it meant to be able to play her beloved Lorelai Gilmore one more time. And whether or not you're pleased with the last four words, take comfort in knowing that Graham continues thinking "that ending was really more of cliffhanger, right?"

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Ruth Jefferson is an extremely competent labor and delivery nurse, with over twenty years of experience, conducting a routine checkup on a newborn named Davis. Shortly after Davis' checkup, Ruth is told that she's no longer responsible for Davis' care. Davis' parents, Turk and Brittany Bauer, are white supremacists and are adamant that they no longer want Ruth, an African American, caring for their son. The hospital follows the parents wishes, and Ruth is no longer allowed to have contact with the patient. When newborn Davis goes into cardiac distress after a routine procedure, Ruth finds herself as the only nurse in the ward. Hesitating between following orders and following the nursing code of ethics, Ruth is reluctant to perform CPR on the baby. When young Davis dies, Ruth is the one charge with a serious crime.

Going to trial, Ruth is unable to afford a lawyer so white, middle-class, public defender Kennedy McQuarrie is assigned to her case. Kennedy insists that arguing this case based solely on racial discrimination is a sure fire way to earn Ruth a conviction. As the trial progresses, Ruth and Kennedy begin to see that they're more alike both in and out of the courtroom.

Jodi Picoult does not disappoint with her new novel Small Great Things tackling tough, current subjects like racism, racial profiling, and the justice system. Told in alternating viewpoints from the major characters, this new novel is definitely one you can't put down.

Paris For One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes

Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You, now a major motion picture, is back with a new book, but unlike her previous novels this one is a collection of short stories. The longest story is Paris For One, which features Nell, an analytical and practical girl trying to be more spontaneous. On a whim she plans a spur of the moment trip to Paris for her and her boyfriend. When said boyfriend doesn't meet Nell in Paris as planned, Nell is forced to find her hidden independent side, in the hopes that this getaway weekend doesn't turn out to be a complete letdown.

In true Jojo Moyes fashion, Paris For One and Other Stories is filled with a cast of relatable women in their ordinary lives. Funny and charming these eight short stories are sure to keep you turning the pages.

Blog Break

Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing by Jennifer Weiner

Jennifer Weiner, most well-known for her popular chick-lit novels like Good In Bed, In Her Shoes, and Who Do You Love, takes a big jump into the world of non-fiction in this hilarious collection of essays. With no holds barred she takes raw, personal stuff from her own life and offers the reader a glimpse into her world. Starting with her lonely childhood, Weiner writes of the desertion she grappled with when her father left her family and just exactly what if felt like to be the "Lane Bryant outtake in an Abercrombie & Fitch photo shoot." Moving from her childhood to adolescence to life as a twenty-something, Weiner writes about her first job as a journalist to publishing her first novel Good In Bed to having her book adapted for a movie. Along the way, Weiner candidly writes about life as a wife, mother, and writer.

With candor and humility, Weiner's Hungry Heart doesn't stray from topics like feminism, sex, marriage (and divorce), body image, her mother's recent lesbianism, and everything in between. With parts that are literally laugh out loud funny and others that are extremely touching, it's easy to see Weiner's personality shining through this book like it does in her works of fiction.

The Toughest Indian In the World by Sherman Alexie

When one reads realistic fiction, you expect to see the many areas of life with which we all wrestle: love, lust, anger, fear, sadness, joy and so on.  This is why reading books of short stories can be so rewarding.  I felt each of these emotions in turn as I read: Saint Junior describes the love between a man a wife and what that love means as time ticks by.  Assimilation tells about an American Indian woman (Coeur d’Alene) married to a white man who wants to have sex with an Indian man.  Any Indian man. Class gives the reader the story of an Indian man married to “the tenth most beautiful white woman in the room” and how he processes the resentment of her affairs and the loss of their child.  The entirety of Sin Eaters is filled with a terror that steadily creeps along your skin as you read about a future in which American Indians are captured and forced to reproduce.  Indian Country tells of a successful writer who discovers that his long-distance lover has eloped with another man and finds himself in the middle of a tense dinner with mostly strangers. South by Southwest is about a man who holds up an IHOP and takes a hostage, hoping to discover love.  The collection’s final story, One Good Man, ticked all of these boxes while continually asking the question: What is an Indian?

Sherman Alexie’s The Toughest Indian in the World is a book of stories written by a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene man who has spent his life thinking and writing about being an American Indian. It is a heartfelt look at life and the many types of people who inhabit it. Alexie is also the author of many other books of short stories including The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and the acclaimed Young Adult novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Check out some of his fiction at the library today.

The Importance of Being Kennedy by Laurie Graham

Nora Brennan, an Irish immigrant to America, has accepted the position of nurserymaid to Joseph and Rose Kennedy's nine children. As their nurserymaid Nora witnesses old Joe Kennedy as he grooms his sons for political office and sees how Rose prides herself on raising well-rounded, respected Catholic daughters, who will one day make wonderful wives. While the picture may look perfect from the outside, Nora's account of life with the Kennedys' shows that is anything but the truth as there is always some sort of malarky going on.

Much emphasis is given on the older Kennedy children including Joe, Jr., Jack, Rosemary, and Kathleen often known as Kick. Nora's not afraid to say it like it is personality tells stories of Joe, Jr. trying his best to impress his father, often to no avail. She tells how Jack is often not well, and spends much of his time seeing doctors and in bed recuperating from some sort of ailment. Nora's tells the heartbreaking story of her favorite Kennedy daughter Rosemary. Unlike the rest of her siblings, Rosemary worked tirelessly to keep up with constant knowledge the Kennedys prided themselves on. Often falling short due to a mental handicapher father had her lobotomized in the hopes of reducing the emotional outbursts she suffered from. Sadly the procedure left Rosemary in a worse state. Nora is the first to say how unfair it was that Rosemary was sent to an institution in Wisconsin and all butforgotten about. And finally, Nora freely discusses the rift that happened in the Kennedy family, when devout Catholic Kick married an English Protestant, resulting in Rose rarely speaking to her own daughter.

Though Nora Brennan is fictional, Graham's The Importance of Being Kennedy tells many true Kennedy stories with wit, charm, and humor in this book. For avid historical fiction fans or those fascinated by the Kennedy's this book is sure to be a wonderful read. 

The Dogs of Littlefield by Suzanne Berne

Life in Littlefield, Massachusetts is what you would expect in a small suburban town.  Children play soccer, wives cook dinner, and the community is proud of its various schools, parks and gardens.  When the town decides to create an off-leash dog park on a trial basis, the many dog-lovers of the town are thrilled.  Dogs frolic and people wonder why they hadn’t done this sooner.  Then the signs start popping up on park fences: Pick up after your dog.  Aren’t you ashamed that you don’t? And Leash your beast.  Or else. No one is particularly surprised by this turn of events.  Surely it’s just one of the folks at the nearby community garden, afraid that a dog will trash some freshly planted beds.  Until Feldman, a white bullmastiff, is discovered dead in the dog park by Margaret Downing.

In Berne's The Dogs of Littlefield, sociologist Dr. Clarice Watkins, newly arrived in town to study the elements of a “good life” and its effect on the suburban citizens of Littlefield, takes in the recent rash of dog poisonings.  What author Berne gives us is a funny, honest portrayal of life and the many people in it.  From the ups and downs of marriage, to affairs, dealing with ones children and work, Berne shows us the honest minds of people living their lives.  Lives that are sometimes small, ordinary and filled with minutiae or fear.  What appears on the surface to be a murder mystery involving the dogs of a small town, really becomes a story about people living their ordinary lives.

Multiple Listings by Tracy McMillan

Nicki Daniels is a thirty-something woman with her life together. She is a single mom to son Cody, works full time as a real estate appraiser, has a beautiful home, and has a sweet boyfriend whom she's looking to buy a house and restaurant with. While it may appear that she has everything she wants, Nicki isn't content or happy, so imagine the shock when Nicki's former-inmate father, Ronnie that she hasn't seen in 17 years, suddenly shows up on her doorstep, wanting a place to stay while he's on parole. Battling the feelings of neglect she faced during her childhood, Nicki reluctantly agrees to let Ronnie move in. Fearing his typical selfish behavior, Nicki is reluctant to open up to her father and doesn't want her son Cody becoming attached to Ronnie. When Nicki's life is all but falling apart, it very well might be the catalyst that the father and daughter duo needs to reconnect.

Inspired by the author's life, Multiple Listings is a witty, charming, and funny story filled with entertaining characters that are relatable to any family. However by the end of the book, it is clear to see what really matters...family. In the process you realize that a house is not a home without a family to live in it.

The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman

Lolly Lindsey is the matriarch of her small family, living in a fictional small town Michigan city. Lolly's daughter Arden and granddaughter Lauren are busy leading their own busy lives in Chicago, when an emergency call about Lolly leaves Arden stunned. Arden and Lauren realize that it's time to reconnect with Lolly who is now seventy years old and suffering from early onset dementia.

Over the course of their Memorial Day weekend visit home, Lolly tells her life story through the charms on her charm bracelet. From the sewing machine charm given to her by her Irish immigrant to the loon given to her by her husband the night he proposed, Arden and Lauren learn about Lolly's life and in turn learn a few things about themselves. 

This sweet, thoughtful book tells the story of three generations of women. Wade Rouse using the pen name Viola Shipman, in honor of his grandmother, tells her story in this book . For anyone who has ever had a family story telling grandmother or other family member, The Charm Bracelet is sure to read like a family history.

The Good Goodbye by Carla Buckley

Cousins Arden and Rory Falcone have been best friends since they were toddlers. They were inseparable, so much so that they shared a dorm room in college. Given that the girls are so close, everyone finds it extremely odd that the minute their relationship starts to falter, a suspicious fire breaks out in their dorm room. The fire left one dead and the girls severely burned and clinging to life in a local emergency room. Now the detective on the case is nosing around; digging up secrets and looking for answers.

Tension was already high between Arden and Rory's parents, thanks in part to a financial decision turned sour. With little else to do as the girls lay in hospital beds, Arden and Rory's parents are forced to take a look at their unraveling relationships and pray that their secrets stay buried. Ultimately wanting the best for both of the girls, the Falcones are forced to make a decision that might break up the once close knit family.

From author Carla Buckley comes The Good Goodbye, a suspenseful thriller about an estranged family, buried lies, and secrets everyone wants to keep hidden.

The Shore by Sara Taylor

The shore is a collection of three islands off the coast of Virginia--Accomack, Chincoteague, and Assateague. And the aptly named The Shore by Sara Taylor is a collection of stories about the inhabitants of these islands, ranging from 1876 to 2143. The stories jump back and forth by decades, only vaguely connected by characters with a common ancestor--Medora, daughter of a wealthy plantation owner and one of his Native American servants. Medora employs violence and alcohol to escape from two abusive men, her father and her first husband, thus setting a connecting theme for the stories of many of her descendants--alcohol, drugs, and abuse. Most of the inhabitants of Accomack are poor and poorly educated. Many turn to sex, drugs, and alcohol to relieve the boredom of life in a small community. Women and children suffer most from the resulting neglect and violence, beginning with thirteen year old Chloe who must use every shred of her resourcefulness to protect her younger sister from violent men, including her own father. Other young women make poor choices, particularly regarding the men they associate with. They wind up living in fear, in poor circumstances, tied down with unwanted pregnancies. Yet they, or their children, survive and Medora's line continues. The stories, which move disjointedly for present to past to future and back again, prove this. One of the greatest pleasures in reading this book is connecting characters in one story to those in other stories. Ultimately, far in the future, a pandemic leaves the population of the shore isolated, returning to a primitive, communal lifestyle, basically relying on fishing and gathering to sustain life, only barely in touch with the past. However, when an artifact from the twentieth century is discovered and its use is puzzled out, it seems history may eventually repeat itself.

He Will Be My Ruin by K.A. Tucker

K.A. Tucker's new book He Will Be My Ruin follows Maggie Sparkes and Celine, who have been best friends since Celine's mother Rosa began working as the Sparkes family nanny over twenty years ago. Though they came from completely different lives, it didn't matter when it came to their friendship. Maggie grew up wealthy and privileged and Celine was the daughter of a hardworking Latina who lived paycheck to paycheck. Yet no matter where life took them, they remained friends.

Now when Celine has been found dead, of an apparent prescription drug/alcohol suicide, in her New York apartment, it's Maggie who is responsible for tying up the loose ends of Celine's life. Finding it hard to believe that Celine would ever be capable of suicide, Maggie starts searching her apartment for clues. When she stumbles on a few diaries and a locked box with the photo of a mysterious man in it, Maggie begins to question the idea of Celine having a double life.

Did Celine really commit suicide or is there a killer out there who will do anything to silence the people that get in the way?

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

The Sympathizer is a book which examines the post-Vietnam War era from the perspective of the Vietnamese, both the victors and the vanquished. The narrator, The Captain, is a spy for the North, a mole serving as a trusted aid to a South Vietnamese general. He is excellent in his role. Neither South Vietnamese officers nor American advisors suspect him to be a spy. At the behest of his North Vietnamese handlers, he accompanies the general to the United States after the fall of Saigon. This was necessary because Vietnamese army officers and certain Americans hoped to retake Vietnam by staging an armed invasion through Laos. The Captain has an astute eye when judging everything American. He sees corruption and the shallowness of American culture. But when he returns to a united Vietnam, he discovers that the new country is not the country he had expected.

Vietnamese-born and American-educated, Viet Thanh Nguyen's master of the English language and knowledge of American culture make this book a pleasure to read.

Care of Wooden Floors by Will Wiles

Care of Wooden Floors by Will Wiles is a slaptstick movie in book form, a book-long definition of Murphy's Law. Although he is a neat freak and a control freak, Oskar asks a rather lackadaisical friend to housesit his elegant East European apartment while he spends several weeks in the United States. He should realize he is asking for trouble. Since their college days at Oxford, Oskar and the unnamed narrator have known that they are opposites in temperament and taste. Nevertheless, Oskar extends, and his friend accepts, the invitation. Oskar is gone by the time his friend arrives but has left notes, multiple detailed notes with instruction regarding virtually everything in the ultramodern apartment: the bed, the couch, the dishes, the books, the piano, the care of the two cats and most particularly, the care of the pristine, elegant, expensive custom-made wooden floors on which nothing, particularly red wine, should be spilled. The reader can see what's coming and so, apparently could Oskar, who leaves many notes where one would look only if there had been an accident. On the first day, a few drops of red wine spill on the floor. Later there is a big splash. As the week goes by, a cat rakes the leather could with his claws and vomits under the bed. An entire bottle of red wine leaks across the kitchen floor. The cleaning lad chastises the narrator in a language he cannot understand. One death occurs in the apartment, then another. Finally, the narrator must call Oskar and confess to most of his transgressions. This book consists of one surprising twist after another, and the biggest shocker is the last conversation between Oskar and his house-sitting friend. Emotions run high but not the emotions the reader expected.

Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson

Alice Whitley is a twenty-something administrative assistant to a publisher in New York. Her boss sends her to Bel Aire to make sure that reclusive literary legend M.M. (Mimi) Banning finishes the draft of her first new book in over twenty-years. What Alice doesn't realize is that she'll be acting as a full-time companion to Mimi's eccentric nine year old son Frank.

Frank isn't like other nine year old boys. He has a penchant for dressing as a 1930s movie star, often right down to the top hat, monocle, and pocket square. With a higher IQ than most adults, Frank displays characteristics of a child on the Autism spectrum, but that doesn't stop Alice from loving Frank as if he were her own.

Full of love and classic movie quotes, Be Frank With Me is sure to tug on your heartstrings and make you laugh at the same time.

End of the Perfect 10 by Dvora Meyers

In 1976, Nadia Comaneci did the impossible. She performed on the uneven bars so well, she was awarded a score of 10. This was so revolutionary, the score board did not have the option to show a 10. 40 years later we still remember Nadia's name, yet the "Perfect 10" is no longer a possible Olympic score. In 2016 we see Simone Biles doing impossible routines scoring 15.933, and we wonder it means. What happened in gymnastics that something so iconic was changed, and how do we understand the new scores?

Author Dveora Meyers takes a look at the history of gymnastics through the lens of scoring. From what happened before the 1976 Olympics, to 2016, and what this means for the future. The names of the current Olympians are all mentioned, as well as many international and American gymnasts. The focus is on scoring in woman's gymnastics, however it could easily be read as a primer of Olympic Gymnastics from 1976 to 2016 as well. Beyond Olympic gymnastics, NCAA gymnastics is looked at as well due to the fact that they still use the 10 point scoring system.

From four years fans to full quad followers, The End of the Perfect 10 is something all fans of gymnastics should check out.

Slade House by David Mitchell

By the time young Nathan and his mother have found the mysterious entrance to Slade House, the reader already feels uneasy on their behalf. Nathan is an adolescent, perhaps autistic, and very sensitive to his surroundings. His mother, eager to make a good impression on the mistress of Slade House, Lady Grayer is impatient and bossy. And it is her impatience that puts them both in danger. Nathan can sense that something is not quite right in Slade House but his mother, so concerned with appearances, ignores his apprehension. As a result, they fall victim to Jonah and Norah, the immortal twins who dwell in Slade House. They are Anchorites, malevolent beings who will never die so long as they inhale the souls of others on a regular basis. Every nine years, a vulnerable person is lured to Slade House on one pretext or another. A shape-shifting twin will flatter and intrigue the victim until the trap is spring and there is no escape. Author David Mitchell's story ranges from 1979 to 2015. Each of the five victims is vulnerable in his or her own way and dies accordingly. Slade House is an eerie tale of soul vampires and their victims. Prepare to be frightened.

Ally Hughes Has Sex Sometimes by Jules Moulin

Ally Hughes is a single mom to her ten year old daughter Lizzie. She is a female studies professor at Brown with a heavy course load, has a highly critical mother who refuses to butt out of her daughter's life, and has absolutely no time or desire to date, let alone fall in love. Then she meets Jake, a bright student who has taken nearly every class Ally Hughes has to offer. One weekend, when Ally is supposed to be fixing her house, grading final papers, and not falling in love, she winds up spending the weekend having a fling with Jake.

Fast forward ten years. Ally is still single, tends to interfere with her grown daughter's life, and has recently lost her mom to lung cancer. What Ally doesn't know is that her world is about to change, when her daughter Lizzie brings home her new boyfriend to celebrate her birthday dinner. Imaging Ally's shock when Lizzie's new boyfriend winds up being Jake. Lizzie's birthday dinner is bound to be one awkward family dinner.

Ally Hughes Has Sex Sometimes is a laugh out loud funny book, that reads along the lines of a romantic comedy, with a feminist feel. Will Ally finally realize that she can still embrace her feminist ways and fall in love?

The Evening Spider by Emily Arsenault

Emily Arsenault's The Evening Spider is the perfect blend of psychological thriller inspired by a true crime story from the 1880s. Told in alternating viewpoints and historical time periods, the story focuses on two young mothers.

It's 1885 and Frances Barnett has been sent to Northhampton Lunatic Hospital shortly after the birth of her daughter. Distrusting everyone around her, Frances begins to recount the early days of her pregnancy, as she shares her reluctance towards the possibility of becoming a mother. During the early stages of her pregnancy, Frances can't help but explain how she became enamored with the disturbing, yet captivating murder trial of a young woman at the hands of a local clergy member who was guilty of poisoning the young woman with arsenic. Frances, fascinated with the science behind the trial, admits in her journal that maybe her interest in the trial lead her to have horrible thoughts.

Fast forward to 2014, when young mother Abby Bernacki is slowly transitioning to motherhood. Taking a year sabbatical after giving birth to her daughter, Abby can't help but have odd dreams and hear suspicious sounds across the baby monitor in her daughter's room.Worried she's beginning to lose her mind, Abby begins researching their home. After finding out that the house belonged to the Barnetts, Abby cannot stop thinking about what might have happened in the house 150 years ago.

With a mix of humor, thriller, true crime, and history, Arsenault's book is sure to keep you turning the page.

The Year of Fear by Joe Urschel

In the 1930s, American gangsters needed to find a new source of income. The end of Prohibition put a stop to bootlegging and, due to the Great Depression, many banks were not worth robbing. Kidnapping became the most lucrative crime and many wealthy men or their family members were snatched and held for ransom. Law enforcement was practically helpless in the face of this crime. Local police could not pursue criminals across state lines and often cooperated with the criminals. In Washington, D.C., J. Edgar Hoover was trying to turn the Bureau of Investigation into an incorruptible national police force that could take control of criminal investigations before local authorities could mishandle the evidence, or worse, abet the criminals.

When George "Machine Gun" Kelly and his wife, Kathryn, kidnapped wealthy Oklahoma oilman, Charles Urschel, Hoover and his agents were ready to enforce the newly enacted Federal Kidnapping Act, rescue Mr. Urschel and catch the perpetrators. Once the ransom was paid and Urschel was released, the agents began to track down the criminals. Using clues provided by the alert and observant victim, the agents began at the farm in Texas where Urschel had been held and crisscrossed many states to the east, finally nabbing the Kellins in Memphis, Tennessee. Their capture was the first major case solved by Hoover's newly named Federal Bureau of Investigation and the first case prosecuted under the federal kidnapping law.

"Machine Gun" Kelly and his wife Kathryn were colorful characters--charming, good-looking, and fond of elegant clothing and expensive cars. J. Edgar Hoover was a beleaguered and maligned civil servant, disliked by many powerful people. Due to Hoover's doggedness, their fortunes were reversed. In The Year of Fear, author Joe Urschl combines their compelling stories with American history, creating a fascinating true crime book.

13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad

From new author Mona Awad comes 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl. Lizzie has always been a plus size girl and has never liked the way she looks despite what everyone tells her. As a teenager, Lizzie realizes that no guy will ever be interested in her, so she starts to date online. Things go well in her online relationships up until the guys she likes start asking for pictures. Realizing that she doesn't want to turn out like her mom, overweight and alone, Lizzie begins counting calories, miles on the treadmill, and dropped sizes until she can fit in designer dresses she never thought she'd dream of fitting into. Even after all of the weight lost, Lizzie realizes that she's not happy with her life, despite all of the validation she receives from her husband and everyone around her.

It a world obsessed with body image, Awad's book is an interesting, often funny, look through the eyes of a young woman who is trying to figure out her life and what makes her truly happy.

Rules of Civility by Amore Towles

In the late 1930s, New York City could be an exciting or desperate place to live, depending on your income and background. Katey Kontent, daughter of a Russian immigrant, and Eve Ross, a Midwestern transplant, were in the desperate group. But they were enterprising young women and knew how to stretch their limited resources: by sharing a room at a boarding house, sharing wardrobes, sneaking into movie theaters and stretching three dollars at a jazz club on Saturday night. When they met Tinker Grey, a handsome young banker with classy clothes and an apartment in the high rent district, they were able to expand their social life to include many well-to-do young people and fancier establishments. Unfortunately, an automobile accident disrupted their lives and their outlook on life changed. Eve, badly injured, eventually went her own way. Tinker, feeling guilty, came and went in Katey's life. But Katey, smart, capable and sensible, succeeded on her own, finding better jobs and expanding her circle of friends and acquaintances. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles paints an intriguing picture of depression-era New York City and its residents of all social classes.

One Small Farm: Photographs of a Wisconsin Way of Life by Craig Schreiner

It's difficult to travel anywhere in this state with out seeing farm buildings beautifully gracing the gorgeous Wisconsin countryside. These farms are much of what this great state is built on. One Small Farm: Photographs of a Wisconsin Way of Life is the perfect illustration of a small Wisconsin farm, where the rhythms and routines of daily farm life keep the Lamberty family grounded. Milking cows in the morning and at night, plowing the fields, planting crops, baling hay, cleaning the barn, and helping birth a calf are just part of daily life on a farm.

Photographer Craig Schreiner perfectly captures a typical day, through the course of all four seasons, on the Lamberty farm near Pine Bluff, Wisconsin, while capturing the exceptional moments of a calf standing on its legs for the first time and corn just peeking through the ground for the first time in spring. While Schreiner's thoughtful photos illustrate farm life, he also helps shed light on the growing concern of disappearing small family farms, the rural way of life, and ultimately Wisconsin traditions.

LaFayette In the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell

Forty years after the Bicentennial of our country, most citizens take the American Revolution for granted. We know the names of the most famous patriots who fought the war and wrote the Declaration of Independence. But we generally give little thought to these historical figures and their words and deeds. Now historian, humorist, and outside-the-box thinker, Sarah Vowell, brings us a short unique history which provides details of our Revolution and Revolutionaries.

The Marquis de LaFayette, a wealthy French idealist, joined the Revolution at the age of nineteen. He provided his own transportation, his own uniform, his own weapons and insisted he be allowed to serve "at my own expense...(and) to serve first as a volunteer." From LaFayette, the altruistic center of her book, Vowell expands her scope to tell the stories of many other patriots and scoundrels involved in the Revolution. Then, as now, people did not appreciate his management of the war. American and foreign military officers vied to displace him. Congress would not allocate the funds needed to feed and clothe his army. And the war often went poorly. But LaFayette remained loyal to Washington as did other generals, including Nathanael Green and the self-educated artillery general, Henry Knox. We are all aware that the Continentals prevailed, but after reading this book, we will know how this was achieved and how close they came to failing.

After America won its independence, LaFayette returned to France and became embroiled in the French Revolution. He survived and, in 1824, at the invitation of President James Monroe, returned to the United States for a celebratory year-long tour of the the then twenty-four states. Everywhere he went, enormous crowds turned out to see and honor the last surviving general of the Revolution. Two thirds of the population of New York City was the port to welcome him. Throughout her book, Vowell points out that then, as now, our country was only "Somewhat" united. Factions, regions, and political parties divided a people who could only agree that they loved LaFayette. 1824 was even the year of one of the most contentious presidential elections in American history, resulting in the choice of John Quincy Adams as an unpopular compromise. Now, nearly two hundred years later, We the People are still citizens of a somewhat United States as our televisions bring another hotly contested presidential campaign into our homes.

LaFayette In the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell is an unusual American history book as it is both amusing and informative.

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

Liane Moriarty's The Husband's Secret tells the story of Cecelia, who has it all--she has three beautiful girls, a doting husband, a successful Tupperware business, is involved with the PTA, and a pillar of the community. Imagine her surprise when she stumbles across a letter from her husband, with one caveat. The letter can only be opened upon his death. Immediately Cecelia imagines that it must contain a deep dark secret.

Rachel has been mourning her daughter since she was senselessly murdered thirty-five years ago. Janie, Rachel's daughter, was a teenager when she was strangled in a local park and left with rosary beads left in her hands. Since Janie's death, Rachel has worked tirelessly to find the killer. When a new video surfaces from shortly before Janie's murder, Rachel thinks she finally found the man responsible.

Tess is a wife, a mother of one, and an advertising executive. Life is going according to plan until her husband and recently slimmed down cousin announce that they've fallen in love. Shocked and bewildered, Tess packs up her son and decides to temporarily move back to her hometown, where she runs into her ex-boyfriend, soon rekindling their relationship.

Cecelia, Rachel, and Tess barely know one another, but their paths will soon collide when they all feel the repercussions of the letter left by Cecelia's husband. 

Harbour Street by Ann Cleeves

Harbour Street by Ann Cleeves is the sixth in the series of British crime novels with Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope. Her protégé, Detective Joe Ashford discovers that a woman has been stabbed on a crowded Metro train just days before Christmas. The victim, Margaret Krukowski is an elderly woman that Vera learns has many secrets. A few days later a prostitute that Margaret was trying to help is also found murdered. The clues lead to the residents of Harbour Street who are trying to keep their own secrets safe. Through this is the sixth in a series, it stands alone with its vivid characters and suspenseful conclusion. The Netflix series, Vera, is based on the compelling and flawed characters from these books. What a moody and atmospheric story that keeps its readers guessing until the end.

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

It first resembles some sort of reality television show: 7 people living in a house on a beautiful 

island off the coast of Spain for two weeks. But it turns out that we're really being invited along on a family vacation of sorts. Seven very different people come together for a chance to relax, swim, and eat glorious food and we soon realize that each has their own hopes, fears, and issues.

Jim: father of the Post family is "a cool 60" years old and finds himself faced with the void of retirement forced upon him once it came to light that he had an affair with a 23-year-old intern (sorry, editorial assistant) at work.

Franny: matriarch, freelance food writer and woman coming to terms with herself due to the shock of her husband's infidelity this trip also marks their 35th wedding anniversary.

Sylvia: their 18-year-old daughter who has just graduated high school and is hoping to lose her virginity before learning for Brown in the fall.

Bobby: the Post's oldest child. Struggling Miami real estate agent and ambivalent gym rat.

Carmen: Bobby's long-time athletic trainer girlfriend who Franny and Jim have always felt was "too old" for their son.

Charles: Franny's best friend for almost 40 years and artist.

Lawrence: Charles' husband and accountant for movie productions. Wants more than anything to adopt a baby and become a father with Charles.

Throw all of these people and their separate and shared histories together and you've got...an interesting two weeks ahead. Break-ups, blowups, possible adoptions--all bubbling under the surface of this seemingly ideal vacation. Straub's characters are fully formed and the reader gobbles up page after page trying to see what will happen next. Will Bobby dump Carmen? Will Franny just divorce Jim already? This seemingly light-hearted beach novel packs a realistic punch for readers. Be sure to check out a copy of The Vacationers today.

The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian

Richard Chapman has always done what he's supposed to. He has a college degree, a great job in banking and finance, the perfect house in a suburb just outside of New York City, and has an adoring wife and daughter. This time doing what he's supposed to includes hosting his younger, often quite immature, brother's bachelor party. He expects the typical shenanigans of drinking and female exotic dancers at the party, but things go horribly wrong when the two exotic dancers, Alexandra and Sonja, turn out to be prostitutes. As if that's not bad enough, Alexandra and Sonja, in a desperate attempt to set themselves free, wind up killing their Russian bodyguards before they disappear.

Alexandra is a young nineteen year old Russian girl, who only dreamed of being a ballerina. After her mother's death, Alexandra is abducted and forced into sexual exploitation. Making her way to New York with two other girls in the same position as her, Alexandra is willing to do almost anything to break the shackles of prostitution. But is she capable of murder?

The Guest Room tells the story of Richard and Alexandra in tandem. Bohjalian has done a great job of shedding the light on the sexual objectification of women and human trafficking. Gripping your attention after a short time, this is bound to be a page turner.

Educating Milwaukee: How One City's History of Segregation and Suffering Shaped Its Schools by James K. Nelson

Between public schools, parochial schools, private schools, charter schools, choice schools, and online learning, today’s students in the city of Milwaukee have more choices in education than any other city in America. This amount of choice evolves from Milwaukee’s struggle to desegregate schools in the 1970s. Most are familiar with the ruling of Brown vs. the Board of Education which ended de jure segregation or segregation by law, and thoughts of desegregation tend to conjure up images of the Little Rock Nine as a group of nine African American students walk into their newly desegregated high school for the first time amid protest.

But what happens when segregation isn't the law, but neighborhood lines and housing patterns make it that way? Nelson traces the root of Milwaukee's segregation problems (including neighborhood segregation today) to discriminatory housing practices of the early 1900s which limited regions in which African Americans could purchase property. This caused clear racial lines in the city, which in turn made the neighborhood school segregated. Educating Milwaukee traces the evolution of programs in Milwaukee Public Schools, which were aimed at desegregation, from magnet schools, busing finally developing into the schools Milwaukee has today. This book provides wonderful background into many issues that plague and politicize our schools today and can appeal to the local history buff in us all. 

Meternity by Meghann Foye

Liz Buckley is a thirtysomething, single young woman, living in New York City, working as an editor at the it baby magazine Paddy Cakes. She's spent years pulling long nights and covering for her co-workers with children, so one day when her boss sees Liz nauseated in the morning, the rumor begins to float around that Liz is pregnant...which couldn't be farther from the truth. Impulsively Liz fakes a pregnancy, baby bump and all, and is looking forward to her "meternity" leave or the me time she'll have when she "gives birth" to figure out her life--work, dating and relationships, and the like. But just how long can Liz pull off this charade without getting caught?

Foye, who doesn't have children, has recently received criticism for her articles about mothers and maternity leave. While much of Meternity is centered around Liz and her often ridiculous, fabricated pregnancy, Foye does not shy away from addressing real issues, such as infertility, IVF, and surrogacy, that many women face.

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

As a teenager, TifAni FaNelli is a student at the prestigious, private Bradley School. Desperate to be friends with the popular crowd, TifAni will do just about anything to fit in. She begs her mom to buy her clothes from Banana Republic, gets her hair done, and is even a bit ashamed that she doesn't come from the money that her fellow private school classmates do. All of her pretending works, and suddenly TifAni fits in. That's until she's sexually assaulted and raped by a group of the school's most popular boys.

Desperate to escape the humiliation that happened in high school, Ani FaNelli has reinvented herself. She's an editor at a top magazine, living in New York, dressed in the most expensive wardrobe, and has landed herself a wealthy fiancé from a good family. Ani is a new person, who has buried the traumatic experience of high school, until she's asked to be part of a documentary about her time at Bradley School.

With all of those memories resurfacing, Ani begins to take down the walls that she put up so long ago. But will everything she's worked for crumble with walls as Ani begins to let her guard down? Jessica Knoll's Luckiest Girl Alive is an interesting look at what life is like for teenage girls as they grow into young women, and are destined to want it all.

The Green Road by Anne Enright

Enright's The Green Road features Rosaleen Madigan is an Irish wife and mother who attempts to control her family, husband and four children, with histrionics and melodrama. So in 1980, when oldest son Dan announces his intention to study for the priesthood, his mother starts to cry during Sunday dinner and, after dinner, takes to her bed for days. The family carries on, the burden of running the household falling on the oldest daughter, Constance. Eventually Rosaleen emerges from her bedroom and ordinary life resumes.

Decades later, Rosaleen is a widow and her children have left home. Dan, who did not become a priest, lives in North America and is involved in the art world and the gay community. His brother Evan has gone in an entirely different direction, providing medical care to poor people in Africa. Youngest daughter Hanna has gone into acting and only Constance remains near the family home, following the traditional Irish path of wife and mother. Feeling lonely, neglected and incapable of maintaining her property, Rosaleen decides she will sell her old house and live in something more modern. She summons her children home for Christmas and they dutifully obey. But the Christmas conversation devolves into arguments and injured feelings. Once again Rosaleen responds melodramatically, disappearing into the Irish countryside on a cold winter night. It is a pattern which will repeat itself again. Rosaleen may not get what she wants but she will be the center of attention.

The Case of the Dotty Dowager by Cathy Ace

The Case of the Dotty Dowager by Cathy Ace is an amusing British cozy mystery. This is the first in a planned series featuring the WISE Women Detective Agency.  These female detectives are WISE because they are from Wales, Ireland, Scotland and England respectively. Henry Twyst, the eighteenth duke of Chellingworth, discreetly employs the detective agency to discover whether his mother, the Dowager Duchess, actually saw a corpse in her dining room. Has the Duchess gone senile? One of the WISE detectives is a family friend, the Honorable Christine Wilson-Smythe, who just so happens to be the only daughter of a Viscount and Viscountess. Christine and her friends discover what really happened that night in the Duchess’ dining room. This book is a clever beginning to a fun and entertaining genre series.  

If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins

Jenny Tate is a wedding dress designer. She's in the business of happily ever after, so imagine her surprise when she finds out that her perfect doctor husband is no longer in love with her. Unable to say goodbye to her ex-husband Owen, Jenny stays friends with him, his new beautiful wife, and their adorable baby. Sensing this isn't helping her move on, Jenny decides to move to her hometown to be closer to her sister. After moving into a flat, Jenny begins to develop feelings for her Julliard graduate, piano playing landlord, who continues to tell her that he's emotionally unavailable.

Jenny's sister Rachel has the perfect life. Modeling her relationship after he parents perfect marriage is what she's wanted to do since she was a child. She's married to a lawyer, has beautiful triplet girls, has the home of her dreams, and doesn't think life can get much better, until she realizes that her husband has been sexting and cheating on her with a co-worker. After devoting much of her life to being the perfect wife and mother, Jenny realizes that enough is enough. For the first time in her life, Rachel has reached her breaking point, and those around her better watch out.

Kristin Higgins' If You Only Knew is a humorous book about finding true love when least expected it, standing up for oneself, and the special bond between sisters.

The Comic Book Story of Beer by Jonathan Hennessey and Mike Smith

It's Milwaukee. That said, beer is just a part of our history and culture, so why not enjoy an entire graphic novel all about beer? Hennessey and Smith's The Comic Book Story of Beer is a fascinating read if you're interested in the science of beer brewing, the history of various ales, and how beer became one of the all-time most popular drinks. Hennessey, the writer of several other graphic novels and Smith, a longtime beer brewer have researched the history of beer dating back to the beginning of time (roughly 7000 BC), through the rule of the Romans, the era of exploration, the Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, World War I and II and up until the present. They trace the brewing science from barley, to mash, to bottle, and finally to consumption. With mention of major breweries like Miller, Pabst, and Anheuser Busch as well as newer craft breweries and beer pubs, Hennessey and Smith are clearly beer experts. For avid beer drinkers, home brewers, and historians, this is a fascinating look at an iconic beverage that has changed the world.

Murder Most Malicious by Alyssa Maxwell

Due to the high number of causalities and disabled veterans, World War I forever changed England. One of the more positive transformations reflected in Murder Most Malicious by Alyssa Maxwell is the breaking down of class barriers. At Lady Phoebe Renshaw’s family estate, Foxwood Hall, the Marquis of Allerton is missing. Though he is a thoroughly unpleasant man that no one misses except his mother, he must be found. The local police suspect a footman, but Lady Phoebe believes the young man innocent. Lady Phoebe joins forces with her maid, Eva Huntford to find out what exactly happened to the Marquis of Allerton. This is a charming historical mystery with two strong female characters and an authentic sense of time and place. Recommend to Downton Abbey fans!

The Annotated Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Edited by John Matteson

Little Women--it's the classic children's story of the March sisters living in Concord in the 1860-1870s, figuring out their place in a world dominated by men. If you haven't read (or seen any version of the movie), The Annotated Little Women might be the version you want to pick up. Not only does this rather large book contain all of Alcott's Little Women, but the margins of this classic are peppered with notes, observations, and interesting facts about the story. Included are images from the movies, photographs of some of the individuals Alcott mentions in the story, and interesting tidbits of history that even the brightest historian won't know. Fans or first time readers of this version of Little Women will be fascinated by the information contained in this book.

Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of this book is the introduction by John Matteson. He spends quite a bit of time explaining how Little Women became the classic that it is today. Much emphasis is given to the time period, and the fact that Alcott's father raised his daughters to be enlightened thinkers, a rarity for the time. Matteson's forward also sheds light on how much the members of the March family were modeled after the Alcotts. Filled with fascinating stories about Louisa May Alcott, this annotated version is for true Little Women fans.

Look Who's Back by Timur Vermes

World War II has been over for 70 years. Adolf Hitler has been dead for 70 years. Vermes' Look Who's Back imagines what the world would be like if Hitler didn't die in 1945 like previously thought. The book starts with Hitler waking up in Berlin in 2011, and Hitler himself if shocked to see that Germany looks nothing like it did when he last saw it in 1945. There's no Ava Braun, no Nazi Party, and no World War II. Completely confused Hitler roams about Berlin until he stumbles across a newsstand, whose owner mistakes the real Adolf Hitler for a Hitler impersonator. The real Hitler takes offense that nobody takes him seriously as the Führer of Germany. Put to work as a "Hitler impersonator" (who refuses to break character) for a local TV station, this suddenly makes Hitler a sensation once again. Now it's his job to once again put Germany back on track and convince the world that he's the real Adolf Hitler.

Look Who's Back is an entertaining satire, imaging what life would be like if Hitler were alive today. With a focus on how technology has changed the face of politics, it's interesting to imagine what a modern world with Hitler would be like. This book is sure to provide a few laughs and question modern politics.

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert

Elizabeth "Lou" Johnson has worked tirelessly to open her quaint French restaurant, Louella's, in downtown Milwaukee. Her restaurant, named with her grandmother in mind, is a work of love for Lou. It's the place where she feels most at home, especially now that she's engaged to a narcissistic guy who always discounts Lou's opinions, ideas, and dreams. On the morning of her fiance Devlin's birthday, Lou sets out to surprise him by making her grandma's delicious coconut cake. When she gets to his apartment and catches him scantily clad with his assistant, life takes a negative turn for Lou.

Al Waters is a British transplant to Milwaukee. With a passion for food, Al (who uses the pen name A.W. Wodyski) has taken a job as an often despised food critic for a local paper. Realizing that Milwaukee is just a small stepping stone to advance his career, Al realizes he won't be here long and has nothing to lose with his harsh criticism of local restaurants. Just when he thinks he's about had enough of Milwaukee, he meets a woman who smells like vanilla and just so happens to be carrying a coconut cake.

Lou and Al's worlds collide on the night that Lou found her fiance with his assistant. Without Lou knowing A.W. Wodyski has come to review her restaurant, and suffice it to say the critic catches Lou on a day where even the easiest dish would be off kilter. Fate continues to throw Al and Lou together, and without knowing much about one another, sparks fly between them.

With a definite rom-com, You've Got Mail feel, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is sure not to disappoint if you need a light fluffy read. Reichert, a lifelong Wisconsin resident, definitely knows her way around Milwaukee as she writes about Al and Lou's adventures to find the best food this city.

Visitation by Jennie Erpenbeck

Visitation, in telling the history of a small parcel of land near Berlin, also tells the history of twentieth century Germany. When a wealthy farmer realizes none of his four daughters will provide him with an heir, he divides part of his land, Klara's Wood, into three plots and sells them to prosperous city dwellers--a tea and coffee importer, an architect and a cloth manufacturer who happens to be Jewish. The three weekend neighbors build on and improve their properties while spending summers and weekends in the country with friends and family. Then, events beyond their control interrupt this idyllic life. Hitler comes to power. The cloth manufacturer flees the country with his wife and children but cannot persuade his relatives to follow. War rages. The Jewish relatives are deported. The Russian Army invades and occupies the summer homes. Later, Klara's Wood becomes part of East Germany and the land becomes the possession of the government. Some people escape to the West, some are captured in the attempt and some simply remain and adjust. New people rent and sublease the homes. The Berlin Wall falls and Germany is reunited. Former landowners reclaim their property, uprooting the current tenants. The twenty-first century begins.

With spare but evocative language, Jenny Erpenbeck relates civilian life in twentieth century Germany, focusing on both its congenial and menacing aspects, using small, personal events.

We Interrupt Our Blog Posts For This Announcement...

Even though our blog is filled with all sorts of great reading selections, sign up for NextReads to stay on top of the best books in your favorite genres. From historical fiction to mystery to nonfiction, NextReds delivers a list of books right to your email inbox. Click here to sign up for NextReads.

Select your favorite book genres, enter your email address, and in no time you'll be getting great book selections!

The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood

Mary has the perfect life. She has a loving husband, a sweet little girl, and a career as a reviewer for the local paper. When Stella, Mary's daughter, suddenly dies, Mary's life comes screeching to a halt. Mary is thrown into the depths of depression--she doesn't want to get out of bed, she doesn't answer the door for her friends, and her marriage begins to suffer. When Mary's somewhat estranged mother suggests she take a knitting class, Mary scoffs at the idea.

With little to lose, Mary reluctantly joins a knitting circle at Big Alice's knitting shop. Big Alice, who teaches Mary to knit tells her that to "knit is to save your life." Trying desperately to cope with her loss, Mary begins knitting, and in doing so, begins to connect with the fellow members of the knitting group. After hearing other stories of loss, Mary begins to come to terms with her own grief and finally feels comfortable sharing Stella's story. In the process, Mary makes new friends, rekindles her relationship with her husband, and begins to feel like herself again.

Written by Anne Hood, who knows the pain that Mary felt all too well, The Knitting Circle will make you laugh and cry. For anyone who is an avid knitter, this book is a wonderful read. It almost makes you want to pick up knitting needles and yarn and "knit to save your life."

Saint Mazie by Jami Attenberg

In the first half of the twentieth century, homeless men were called bums and a movie patron bought a ticket from a woman who sat in a booth outside the theater. These two facts are the building blocks for Jami Attenberg’s Saint Mazie, a book based on a real person, Mazie Phillips Gordon.  

Mazie was an ordinary New Yorker but she was also a ticket seller with a heart of gold. She sold tickets from the booth in her brother-in-law’s movie theater in The Bowery, home to many poor and disadvantaged people. As part of her job, she sold movie tickets to bums who wanted to get out of the cold, rain, heat and other unpleasant aspects of a New York slum. To some, she sold ten cent tickets; others would be given a bar of soap from her supply in her booth and a ticket on the promise that each would wash his face. She would also give dimes and quarters to her needy customers. Mazie was non-judgmental. She freely gave small change to these men, unconcerned that they would spend the coins on drink. After work, in the wee hours of the morning, she would walk the streets of The Bowery, calling ambulances for men in distress and again passing out small change. Although Jewish, she teamed up with the Catholic nuns who served the poor in the area, united by compassion and empathy.

Jamie Attenberg was inspired to write this book by an old New Yorker article by Joseph Mitchell. Mazie is included in his collection Up in the Old Hotel, and this short essay is also well worth reading.

Awful Ends: The British Museum Book Of Epitaphs by David M. Wilson

This is a unique book, an anthology of tombstone inscriptions. There are a few from literature but most from actual tombstones and cemetery dedications in England and the United States. These epitaphs provide an interesting and often amusing picture of life and attitude toward death from past centuries. Some of the sentiments expressed in these epitaphs are:

Trust in the afterlife--
"He raised with love that fragile flower
To Wake in bliss on high."

Admiration of Virtue--
"...A virtuous and amiable man..."

Expressions of Grief--
"My heart is like cabbage,
A cabbage cut in two..."

But more interesting are the epitaphs that express anger at death or honest appraisals of the dearly departed:

Weakness of the deceased--

"Here lies Peg, that drunken sot

Who dearly loved her jug and pot."

Financial condition--

"Here I like at the Chancel door

Here lie I because I'm poor."

Cause of death--

"His death...which was caused by stupidity of Laurence Tulloch who sold him nitre instead 

of Epsom salts."

Evil deeds--

"...and yet betrayed God's Holy Church for Mammon."

Awful Ends: The British Museum Book of Epitaphs by David M. Wilson is an unusual book of prose and poetry, approval and aspersion, praise and criticism. It must be read to be enjoyed. These few examples are the mere tip of the iceberg.

Me, My Hair, and I: Twenty-seven Women Untangle an Obsession edited by Elizabeth Benedict

We all have it. Some of us love it and others of us hate it. It can be short or long, stick straight, wavy, or Shirley Temple curly. With the added frizz of a humid day, it can make you look like you have a poodle sitting on top of your head. It gets tangled and messy. And don't even get started on the plethora of colors it can be. Hair.

Ask many women and at some point in their life, they're bound to complain about their hair. What's all the fuss about? In the new book, Me, My Hair, and I: Twenty-seven Women Untangle an Obsession, edited by Elizabeth Benedict, the topic of, not only hair, but sexuality, feminism, culture are discussed. The authors, coming from all different races, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds make the argument that hair is often tied to who a woman is. For Suleika Jaouad losing her hair during chemotherapy made her think back about how as growing up as Tunisian woman she wanted to badly to assimilate that she tried to put blonde in her jet black hair. Hasidic Jew Deborah Feldman begged her bubbe (grandmother in Yiddish) for short hair. When her grandmother said no, Feldman realized the implications hair and the Holocaust had left on her Holocaust survivor grandmother.

Twenty-seven different women all talk about their hair, and as a result this book takes an interesting look at what it's like to be a woman. While each of these women come from different backgrounds, there is one thing they all have in common--their hair.

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

It's 1952 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. World War II has just ended and life in suburbia has just begun, but for residents of Elizabeth, New Jersey the shock and horror of previous years aren't over. In an unlikely event, three passenger planes enroute to Newark airport, crash in the small town of Elizabeth. In the Unlikely Event primarily tells the story of Miri Ammerman, a young woman, trying to figure out life as a teenager. Suddenly her world changes following the three unconnected plane crashes. Although much of the story is told through Miri, Judy Blume weaves together the lives and stories of three generations of family, friends, and strangers as they deal with first loves, marriages, and friendships. The story, which develops around the plane crashes, is so much more than that. It provides a glimpse into the lives of several families, often who try desperately to keep secrets hidden away. It's a close look at the early 1950s when things like sex, racial profiling, and mental illness were the secrets that stayed hidden.

In the Unlikely Event, is Judy Blume's third adult novel. Typically known for writing children's books Blume is as in her element with adult books. Though this is a work of historical fiction, Blume writes what she knows. Having grown up in Elizabeth, New Jersey,  witnessing the plane crashes she writes as if it all happened yesterday. It's hard not to see a little bit of Judy Blume in fifteen year old Miri Ammerman.

The Man Who Painted the Universe by Ron Lego and Avi Lank

The Man Who Painted the Universe is the story of a man with a passion and his desire to share it with others. Frank Kovak Jr. grew up fascinated by the stars. As a child in Chicago, he loved the Adler Planetarium. He  also painted glow-in-the-dark constellations on his bedroom walls and built his own backyard observatory. Frank's passion grew as he matured. Eventually he bought a small piece of land in northern Wisconsin. Away from city lights, this was an ideal place to observe the stars. He tried to share his passion with others--church and youth groups. But often the weather would interfere--fog or clouds, or rain or cold. So he spent years building and hand painting a 22-foot rotating globe planetarium near Rhinelander, Wisconsin. He financed his project with his own money; he created it with his own ingenuity and built it with his skills in the manual arts. The result is that, despite his lack of a college degree of any kind, he is running a planetarium of his own. In 2008 he opened it to the public and now tiny Monico, Wisconsin has its own tourist attraction. Frank Kovak's story is unique and authors Ron Lego and Avi Lank have told it with respect and empathy. They have reported a Wisconsin success story.  

The Cake Therapist by Judith Fertig

With her marriage crumbling, Claire "Neely" O'Neil leaves New York to move back to her hometown of Millcreek Valley, Ohio. Using her amazing talents as a pastry chef, Claire opens Rainbow Cake, a quaint little bakery specializing in wedding cakes. Like any good chef, Claire has a great palette. With a little bit of magical realism, she believes that certain flavors just go hand in hand with certain feelings. With her ability to create amazing flavor profiles, it's easy to see why Rainbow Cake soon becomes more than just a charming, little bakery.

Flashback to the early 1900s for the second part of this story, which follows sisters Olive and Edie growing up through the Great Depression and World War II. At first it's difficult to imagine how Claire's story intertwines with Olive and Edie, but that's what makes this book so difficult to put down. Like any small town, Millcreek Valley has secrets and it's only a matter of time before they bubble to the surface.

The Cake Therapist is Judith Fertig's first work of fiction. The author has previously edited several cookbooks, and it's easy to see that cakes and pastries are her specialty. With the language Fertig uses, the pastries and baked goods from Rainbow Cake leave you longing for something delicious. While the author may specialize in cookbooks, it's easy to see she's found a new niche, because The Cake Therapist will soon have a sequel.