Nevermore: Cure for Women, Mighty Red, How Hitler Could Have Won WWII, Obitchuary

 

Nevermore March 18, 2025

Reported by Kristin

One of our Nevermore members read The Cure for Women: Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi and the Challenge to Victorian Medicine That Changed Women's Lives Forever by Lydia Reeder, finding it to be very informative. The book discusses both early female medical practitioners and some of the unspeakable treatments given to women suffering from “hysteria”. Dr. Jacobi became one of the first women accepted into the Sorbonne medical school, and her scientific research made waves in the male dominated field. – AH - 5 stars.

Another reader enjoyed The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich. Set in the prairies of North Dakota, this is a tale of Gary, in love with Kismet, who also has another man in love with her. Erdich combines love, farming, natural resources, secrets, hallucinations, and more into another of her sweeping sagas. Our reader said that this wasn’t her favorite Erdrich book, but she just couldn’t give the beloved author anything less than 4 stars. – MH – 4 stars

Returning to non-fiction, another reader had a disappointing experience with How Hitler Could Have Won WWII: The Fatal Errors That Led to Nazi Defeat by Bevin Alexander. While it looked promising when he bought it used for only $2, our reader found that the military history was only “skin deep” and many facts were skimmed over and skipped entirely in this volume. – RR – 0 stars

Obitchuary: The Big Hot Book of Death by Spencer Henry and Madison Reyes brought a few laughs to the table as one member explained that this was a very good book about what happens to your remains after you die. Our reader had formerly worked in a hospice, so was able to look at some of the history and traditions through her own experiences. From cremation to what the authors call FUNerals, the writing is funny in parts, while also exploring how those left behind remember their late loved ones. – KM – 5 stars

Also mentioned:

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from My Dog by Amy Newmark

Presto!: How I Made over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales by Penn Jillette

Horizons: Exploring Creation by Luci Shaw

Lulu Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

Modigliani by Alfred Werner

North River by Pete Hamill

 

New books:

How to Share An Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love, and Plenty by Bonny Reichert

You Gotta Eat: Real-Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossible by Margaret Eby

Every Tom, Dick & Harry by Elinor Lipman

The Vanishing Point: Stories by Paul Theroux

A.K.A. Lucy: The Dynamic and Determined Life of Lucille Ball by Sarah Royal

 

Reviewed by Christy

            Thanks to Nick at Nite, I’ve been a lifelong I Love Lucy fan. But, for whatever reason, it wasn’t until I came across Sarah Royal’s A.K.A. Lucy that I finally picked up a biography of Lucille Ball. (I’m sure the eye-catching cover helped, too.) A wonderful hybrid of a coffee table book and a biography, A.K.A. Lucy is a delightful, engaging read.

            In the introduction, Royal explains that this is not a typical biography. In it, Lucille’s life is not documented chronologically but instead by categories: early life, movie career, marriage, tv career, children, etc. I really liked this approach. It kept it interesting and plus, it was nice reading about Desi and Lucy “back together again” in the tv section after just reading about their divorce in the marriage section. It’s also just a stunning book to look at. Gorgeous photos and pops of color from the graphics make it a treat to flip through.

            I also enjoyed getting to know a little bit about Lucille’s real personality. She was known for being brusque in real life but according to Royal, she certainly did not like hurting anyone’s feelings and admired Desi’s ability to give negative feedback in a gentle way. A skill she just did not possess. She also didn’t think she was very funny either, for that matter. What she was was a hard worker. She never claimed any natural talent but instead attributed her success to her relentless work and rehearsals. I, however, do think she was naturally funny because this anecdote from the book made me laugh out loud:

[A friend] recounted a memory of being on set when everyone was particularly chatty after lunch and director Bruce Bilson was trying to get everyone to be quiet so they could resume rehearsal. Bilson pointed at various people in turn, saying, “I don’t care what YOU had for lunch, or what YOU had for lunch,” until his frustrated hollering hushed everyone up. “Everyone sat there, mouths shut, afraid of making another peep…but then about 15 seconds later, Lucy opened her mouth and cried out, “I had the salmon!”

            I’m sorry, Lucy, but that is funny. And since everyone around her cracked up after this, I’m not the only one who thinks so!

            This is a great read and starting point for any Lucy fan who may be intimidated by the overabundance of Lucy books to sort through. I think I’ll even purchase a copy for my coffee table.

Displeasure Island by Alice Bell

 

Reviewed by Kristin

Sometimes Claire Hendricks would really just like a moment to herself, but unfortunately that rarely happens. Since her BFF died when they were seventeen, Claire always has Sophie tagging along. Ghost Sophie, that is. They are tethered together with some invisible force, and that can get a little weird when others see her talking to . . . air. And it’s not just Sophie who Claire can see, she can see other ghosts too, including long dead pirates and the like.

Claire and her friends Basher and Alex have a chance to vacation at a new resort on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. They were to be the only guests, but unfortunately the owner was unaware of their booking and brought out a group of her own friends for a reunion. At least Basher and Alex do know about Sophie, but not so the other guests. Everyone tries to get along though.

Until the first dead body drops.

This is a classic locked room murder mystery with all players being fair suspects, but with a wicked edge of modern humor. With possible romance(s) brewing and everyone questioning who they can trust, it’s a fun romp across the desolate shorelines racing to beat incoming tides. With bands of ghost pirates looking to control a secret buried treasure, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. Or a limb. Or a life.

Laugh out loud funny (as long as you don’t take your mysteries too seriously) this was an enjoyable read. The cover has a bit of a Scooby Doo vibe for me, with four figures (including one partially transparent) staring across a cove at ghostly figures approaching a crumbling castle. Definitely fluff, but I’d give it four sparkling stars.

Nevermore: The Vaster Wilds, The City and Its Uncertain Walls, The Measure

 

Reported by Rita

The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff

Escaping from a colonial settlement in the wilderness, a servant girl, with nothing but her wits, a few possessions and some faith, is tested beyond the limits of her imagination, forcing her to question her belief of everything her own civilization taught her.

Very descriptive and prophetic, but also harsh, brutal, and exhausting.     – KN     3 stars

 

The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami

Explores a familiar town where a Dream Reader interprets dreams, and shadows detach from their owners, weaving a love story, a quest, and an ode to books and libraries into a parable reflecting the complexities of post-pandemic life.

The weirdest book I’ve ever read, and I’ve read some weird ones.     –MH      4 stars

 

The Measure: a Novel by Nikki Erlick

When every person, all over the globe, receives a small wooden box bearing the same inscription and a single piece of string inside, the world is thrown into a collective frenzy, in this novel told through multiple perspectives that introduces an unforgettable cast of characters.

It was not the escapism I was looking for, but the author brings characters together very well, and the ending was very satisfying.     – PP       3 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

A History of the World in Twelve  Shipwrecks by David Gibbins

You Have Gone Too Far by Carlene O'Connor

Go As a River by Shelley Read

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

1066 & All That: A Memorable History Of England, Comprising All The Parts You Can Remember, Including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings And 2 Genuine Dates by W. C. Sellar  

Living in the Light: Yoga for Self-Realization by Deepak Chopra

Smooth Operator by Stuart Woods

Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail by Ray Dalio

Billy Budd, Sailor, and Selected Tales by Herman Melville

Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl by Stacey O’brien

The Book of Hope: a Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall

A Scout Is Brave by Will Ludwigsen

O Come Ye Back to Ireland: Our First Year in County Clare by Niall Williams

New Books

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Orbital: a Novel by Samantha Harvey

The Highest Calling: Conversations on the American Presidency by David M. Rubenstein

Reading of the Green: Irish Writers

 

It’s said that Ireland is a nation of storytellers.  A list of famous writers would include Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, Edna O’Brien, James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, C.S. Lewis, and George Bernard Shaw, and that’s not including the Irish American writers.  Here are some of our most popular books by Irish authors:

Maeve Binchy was a beloved author known for her stories sent in rural Ireland. She writes warmly about believable characters in situations others can identify with and appreciate.  Tara Road is the story of Ria Lynch, a happily married wife and mother whose world is shattered when she discovers her husband has had an affair and is expecting a child with another woman. Broken-hearted, Ria decides to temporarily trade houses with a woman from America, letting both women discover a new country as well as things about themselves.  Other popular titles include  Circle of Friends, The Glass Lake, and Quentins.

Colm Toibin has recently written a sequel to his 2009 novel Brooklyn. Set in the 1950s, Brooklyn is told from the point of view of Ellis Lacey, a young Irish woman unable to find work.  Learning from a visiting priest that there are jobs in America, Ellis sets off for a strange new land where she does find opportunities but struggles to make a new life while longing for home.  The sequel, Long Island, picks up Ellis’ story twenty years later, and makes her ponder if she made the right choice all those years ago.

Tana French was born in Burlington, Vermont but grew up travelling the world with her parents, including a stay in Ireland. She attended Trinity College and has lived in Dublin for many years with her family.  She writes crime fiction, and her best known series is the Dublin Murder Squad, which follows various detectives as they investigate homicides. Her debut novel, In the Woods, centers around Detective Rob Ryan who is sent to investigate a case involving a child’s death—which turns out to have a connection with a traumatic incident in Rob’s childhood.

John Banville writes in a number of genres, including historical novel on the lives of astronomers such as Copernicus and Kepler.  He has also written crime novels, such as Snow.  Set in 1957, the protestant Detective Inspector St. John Stafford is called to a country house to investigate the murder of a Catholic priest when a storm traps the inhabitants with a murderer on the loose. Banville has also written under the name Benjamin Black.

Niall Williams’ first books were non-fiction, writing with his wife Christine Breen.  While Niall was born in Dublin, he and Christine were living in New York City before deciding to move to rural Ireland to Christine’s grandfather’s 200 year old house. O Come Ye Back to Ireland was a best-seller and inspired several sequels. In his novel Time of the Child, Dr. Jack Troy and his adult daughter Ronnie end up with an abandoned baby. It’s 1962,and for unmarried Ronnie to have an infant is going to cause scandal and gossip.

A Scout is Brave by Will Ludwigsen

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

It’s 1963, and the Castillo family has just moved from Queens, NY to a small backwater town in Massachusetts.  While most young teens would be upset at such a move, Bud Castillo is ready for it.  He doesn’t have a lot of friends, his dad has lost his job, and his mother is recovering from a miscarriage.  Bud is ready to move on, especially when his dad has just gotten a new job, one that will put his skills as a construction and demolition diver to good use, and the promise not only of good wages, but a place for the family to live.

Still, the town of Innsmouth is very different from any town Bud has ever seen.  There aren’t a lot of people and the ones he meets are a bit . . . odd.  There isn’t a school, the library is boarded up, and a lot of houses are empty. Then one day Bud slips into the library and discovers a boy just about his own age, Aubrey Marsh.  He’s the first kid Bud has seen, and he asks if there’s a Scout troop in town.  Aubrey doesn’t know what a Scout troop is, but he’s eager to learn and Bud is eager to teach him—even if they are the only two in the troop. Besides, scouting might give them both a chance to explore and maybe for Bud to discover what’s really going on in the town.

As I’ve said before, I occasionally like to pick up something a little creepy, something atmospheric rather than out and out horror.  This novella exceeded my expectations.  I can best describe it as Ray Bradbury meets H. P. Lovecraft.  It has Bradbury’s coming of age narrative, written from an adult’s perspective, remembering a pivotal time in his life, but surrounded by the mythology created by Lovecraft.

The writing is very evocative, and for me the story certainly delivered. There’s a very strong sense of place and time, just as in Something Wicked This Way Comes as well as a strong sense of innocence and decency.  Bud whole-heartedly believes in the Scout ideals and has tried to live them, and he finds a kindred spirit in Aubrey; but Bud is about to understand that not everyone else believes as he does.  This is also a story of friendship and innocence with an ending I found to be both melancholy and (perhaps oddly) sweet.

While I have read some Lovecraft, I am not particularly well-versed in that world but I didn’t have any trouble following the story. I very much enjoyed this book.   If you like Lovecraft and/or Bradbury, I think you will too.

Nevermore Tibetan Peach Pie, No Plan B, Killers of a Certain Age

 

Reported by Rita

Tibetan Peach Pie: a True Account of an Imaginative Life by Tom Robbins

Inviting readers into his private world, an internationally best-selling author and American icon shares stories from his unconventional life, from his Appalachian childhood to his adventures around the world, that is as unlikely, magical and bizarre as those of his quixotic characters.

 Robbins was a fantastic writer and he lived an interesting life.  – MH   5 stars

 

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Sent on an all-expense paid vacation to mark their retirement, four assassins discover they've been marked for death, forcing them to turn against their own organization and teach them what it really means to be a woman—and a killer—of a certain age.

Fun and likable.      – WJ      5 stars      

 No Plan B: a Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child

Witnessing a woman pushed to her death in front of a bus, Jack Reacher, following the killer on foot, is unaware that this is part of a secret conspiracy with many moving parts with no room for error and any threats will be permanently removed, including Reacher.

An excellent book, full of intrigue and mayhem.       – FE       5 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

Darwinia by Robert Charles Wilson

The Medicine Woman of Galveston by Amanda Skenandore

Anne of Green Gables  adapted by Katherine Woodfine

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler

Stupid American History: Tales of Stupidity, Strangeness, and Mythconceptions by Leland Gregory

Dead Center: Behind the Scenes at the World's Largest Medical Examiner's Office by Shiya Ribowsky

Living in the Light: Yoga for Self-Realization by Deepak Chopra

Trader of Secrets by Steve Martini

Saints and Villains: a Novel by Denise  Giardina

Blameless by Gail Carriger

The Screwtape Letters: with, Screwtape Proposes a Toast by C. S. Lewis

A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage: a Novel by Asia Mackay

New Books

The Life of Herod the Great: a Novel by Zora Neale Hurston

Golden Years: How Americans Invented and Reinvented Old Age by James Chappel

The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World by Atossa Araxia Abrahamian

Go As a River by Shelley Read

We Do Not Part: a Novel by Kang Han

The Healing Season of Pottery by Yeon Somin