A Man and His Cat by Umi Sakurai

 

  

Reviewed by Jeanne

 

Since I seemed to be on a roll with magna after Cat + Gamer, I went for the first two volumes of A Man and His Cat by Umi Sakurai.  This one really tugs at the heart strings in a very good way.  A chubby, unattractive kitten waits and waits in the pet shop, seeing all the cute kittens being adopted.  No one seems to want him, and as he grows into a cat it seems he will live out his life in the pet shop. Then one day an older man named Mr. Kanda comes in and, astonishingly, wants to adopt the cat!

Now named Fukumaru, the cat is deeply grateful even though he doesn’t understand why he was chosen.  It turns out that Mr. Kanda is a lonely widower. His late wife loved cats and he had promised her they would get one, but she died before that happened.  The story is told from both the point of view of Fukumaru and Mr. Kanda.  Fukumaru adores his daddy and wants to please him, but sometimes isn’t sure how to do that.  Mr. Kanda is learning about the charm and most especially the comfort of cats.  In fact, he’s turning into something of a cat aficionado, delighting in cat sweaters and such, much to the consternation of some of his friends and co-workers. 

I was surprised at how moving I found these stories to be. Mr. Kanda and Fukumaru are two lonely souls who find hope and love together.  Mr. Kanda is a kind, generous man who is a superb musician, which sometimes causes others to envy him and to offer slights to which he is annoyingly oblivious.  I am so rooting for continued happiness for Mr. Kanda and Fukumaru, and since there are at least four more volumes in the series there should be ample opportunity.

The emotional depth was unexpected, or maybe it’s just that I’m finally getting the hang of reading manga! I became more emotionally invested in these characters, and I am sort of getting used to the art style.  Fukumaru is very much a stylized cartoon cat, his eyes often welling with tears of happiness or concern.  Mr. Kanda seems to be an older man but the art doesn’t really convey that except as a few lines on his face. He appeared to me to be an attractive man, and a couple of reviews mentioned that as well—well, actually those reviews used the words “hot” or “hottie.” I concur.

Also, Mr. Kanda inspires me.  I’d like to be as kind, considerate, and gentle as he is. 

I am certainly going to read more of these!

Nevermore: Dying of Politeness, New Jersey Turnpike, Romeo Catchers, Vanishing Half

Reported by Garry

Dying of Politeness by Geena Davis is the new memoir from the two-time Academy Award winner, activist, producer and all-round screen icon. At age three, Geena decided she was going to be a movie star, and set herself on the path to realize her dreams. Paths are never typically a straight line, though, and Geena’s definitely wasn’t. Along the way, Geena has had to learn that always being the polite “Good little girl” that she was raised to be is not going to help her, and that her “journey to badassery” is a lifelong one in which she slowly has learned to revel. MS

The New Jersey Turnpike by Mike Lapolla and Thomas Suszka. This slender book chronicles the planning, construction and enduring impact of one of the most (in)famous turnpikes in America – the New Jersey Turnpike. The 117.20 mile long highway runs nearly the full length of the state, from the border with Wilmington, Delaware, in the south to the George Washington Bridge into New York City in the north. Initially built as a four-lane utilitarian highway, the turnpike has expanded over time and is now the economic engine of the state, with more than 240 million vehicles per year travelling it. This book was especially meaningful to a number of our readers as they either lived or grew up in New Jersey and have fond memories of the turnpike and its impact on their lives. MF

The Romeo Catchers by Alys Arden is book two in the supernatural themed The Casquette Girls series, set in modern day New Orleans. Seventeen-year-old Adele LeMoyne is scouring the city in order to uncover the truth about her family’s magical past. Packed full of magic, mystery, vampires, witches and SO much more, our reader highly recommends this YA series with its compelling writing, excellent character development and superbly gothic sensibilities. SH

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is a multigenerational look at race and identity in today’s America. Desiree and Stella Vignes are identical twins who grew up in the small town of Mallard, Louisiana, a town that prides itself on having very light-skinned African Americans. The twin sisters run away at age 16, and then 14 years later Desiree comes back to town with her daughter to take care of her mother. Stella has decided to pass as white and learns to hide every detail and aspect of her past in order to maintain her new identity. But family ties have a habit of creeping back into your life when you least expect them to, and despite our best efforts the past often-times refuses to remain silent. This heartbreaking but realistic look at family, racial and gender dynamics has won multiple awards and is one of President Barack Obama’s favorite books. PP

Also mentioned:

The Asylum Confessions by Jack Steen

To All the Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han

A Year of Positive Thinking by Cyndie Spiegel 

La Guerra De La Limonada by Jacqueline Davies

On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson-Sexton

The Lake Woebegone Virus by Garrison Keillor

Outlawed by Anna North

Winter Harvest by Nora Loft

The Journal of John Vance

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

The Horse by Geraldine Brooks

Galatea: A Short Story by Madeline Miller

J.D. Vance is a Fake Hillbilly by Frank Kilgore

The Magic Kingdom by Russell Banks

Dead and Gondola: A Christie Bookshop Mystery by Ann Claire

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Everyone has their dream job.  For Ellie Christie (no known relationship to Agatha), that dream job is to run the family book shop, the Book Chalet, nestled in the mountains of Last Word, Colorado.  Now her dream is coming true, after her parents decided to retire early and leave the running of the shop to Ellie and her sister Meg.  Ellie’s been working elsewhere for a while, so she is just getting back into the swing of things.  One surprise is finding that ex-Hollywood star turned book influencer Morgan Marin has moved to Last Word and is patronizing the shop, including the book club. This is not to the liking of Mrs. Ridge, the long-time assistant who has very definite opinions as to how the book club is to be conducted. Having a séance is not part of a book club meeting, even if one takes place in this month’s book selection.  It only gets worse when the Ouiji board spells out “D E A D M A N” just before a real life corpse turns up. . . .

This is a first in series book, and I do hope there will be more. The characters were likeable, the mystery was certainly competent, and the setting was intriguing.  The “gondola” part of the title refers to the ski gondolas used to get up and down the mountain and which figure in the crime.  I did figure out part of the solution, but there were still a few surprises in store.

Mostly, I enjoyed all the Agatha Christie references.  I started reading Christies in my youth when I was well and truly baffled by the Victorian Flower Language that Miss Marple employed so freely, and I remain a fan of Christie in particular and fair play mysteries in general.  I liked that the author was so knowledgeable about Dame Agatha and the books she wrote, even mentioning that Ellie guided tours to Torquay, England where the mystery writer was born. A book that Christie wrote under her Mary Westmacott pseudonym figures in the story.   One teensy weensy quibble is when Ellie comments that they have tried to find a genealogical link to Agatha Christie: if they did, based on the name, the relationship would be not to Agatha herself but to her first husband, Archibald Christie, who cheated on her.  Of course, they could then claim a relationship to Archie and Agatha’s daughter Rosalind, so it’s still a connection. (Agatha was born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller.)

And there is a cat-- of course there is a cat-- and her name is Agatha.  She is adorable.

And if, like me, you enjoy Christie’s work, I highly recommend the movie “See How They Run.” It’s set in 1950s London where there’s a plan to make a film of this new play, “The Mousetrap.” A murder on the set brings in two police officers to investigate in this delightful dramedy starring Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, Ruth Wilson, and Adrien Brody.

Christmas Reading Beyond A Christmas Carol and A Visit From St. Nicholas

 

Appalachian Christmas

Nora Bonesteel’s Christmas Past by Sharyn McCrumb blends two plotlines of Christmas in the region.  In one, Sheriff Spencer Arrowood has to serve an arrest warrant in one of the “hollers,” while in the other Nora Bonesteel is called on to investigate a haunting. As usual, McCrumb does a wonderful job of capturing the people and places of Northeast Tennessee.

Mama, Me, and the Holiday Tree:  A Contemporary Fantasy by local author Jeanne G’Fellers has Centenary Rhodes returning home to try to make peace with her mother.  It may take magic to make that happen.     

Christmas Stories by North Carolina Writers and Twelve Poems, Too edited by Ruth Moose is a wonderful collection of stories, remembrances, and poems including contributions from Lee Smith, Sue Ellen Bridgers, and Kaye Gibbons.  The selections are perfect for that little break in between holiday chores. 

Lee Smith’s Christmas Letters tells the story of a family over three generations through the annual Christmas letter. The story begins in 1944 with Birdie, who is both a new bride and a new mother. She’s living with her in-laws while her husband is overseas fighting the war.  The letters follow Birdie, then her daughter, and finally her granddaughter. Besides getting to know the characters, and then seeing them from a different perspective, the reader also is aware of how times change while some traditions -- like the Christmas letter-- remain the same.

Christmas Fiction

Christmas at the Cat Café by Melissa Daley is a heartwarming tale told through the eyes of Molly, a former stray cat who has found a home with Debbie and her daughter.  Then Debbie’s sister moves in and tensions rise in the family. Not only that, but two of Molly’s kittens go missing. It’s going to take a miracle to make things right again. Even though I am a sucker for cat books, I still was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one.  Part was the setting (UK) and part was having the book told from the cat's viewpoint as she worries about her kittens and about what is happening with her human family as well.

Irish author Felicity Hayes-McCoy’s The Mistletoe Matchmaker celebrates the season with a tale set in the Finfarran Peninsula.  Canadian Cassie decides to visit her grandparents and to see where her father grew up in Ireland. She is soon immersed in the lives of the villagers in this warm and cozy tale of families, friendships, and secrets, filled with memorable characters. It’s the third in a series but can be read as a standalone. 

Luther Krank has decided to skip Christmas. No presents, no tree, nor cards or festive parties.  Instead they’ll go on a cruise and get away from all the madness. Obviously, thing are not going to go as planned. . . John Grisham’s take on the holiday is memorable fun, but don’t take our word for it. Just read Skipping Christmas for yourself. There is also a movie entitled Christmas with the Kranks.  The library has a copy of the DVD.

Even though it's a considered a children's book, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson is beloved by adults as well.  Who can forget the Herdmans? Laugh out loud funny, it still gets to the meaning of Christmas in a way few stories do.

Christmas Memories

An Irish Country Christmas by Alice Taylor is a short but lovely memoir of a rural Irish Christmas in the 1940s. Alice was one of six children who grew up on a farm.  Her account covers the traditional twelve days of Christmas as her family celebrated, and includes details of rural life. (Don't get too attached to the goslings.  Just sayin'.) 

A Gift from Bob is James Bowen’s account of a difficult Christmas. Bowen was an addict struggling to get clean with the help of his friends and a stray orange tabby cat. It's a sequel to the best-selling book A Street Cat Named Bob.  Two movies were made from the books, A Street Cat Named Bob and A Gift from Bob.  Both books and movies are recommended for being sweet but not saccharine, and for being uplifting.  The library holds both books and movies.

A Foxfire Christmas collects stories of Appalachian holiday traditions, including how to make toys like corn husk dolls, recipes, and party games.  These were collected by students in Georgia and are a charming window into the past.

A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd is a semi-autobiographical collection of essays about a little boy and his burning desire for a Red Ryder air rifle.  Sound familiar?  It should, because Shepherd’s tales became the basis for the beloved movie.  Originally published in two other collections, the stories were pulled together for this special edition.

 

Christmas Series

A number of authors have regularly turned out Christmas tales which have proven very popular.  The list includes Anne Perry, Richard Paul Evans, Debbie Macomber, Donna VanLiere, Susan Mallory, Janet Dailey, Nancy Thayer, Elin Hilderbrand, “Cape Light” series by Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer, and Donna Andrews.

Nevermore: 81 Days Below Zero, Salt Path, Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, Paul Newman

 

Reported by Garry

81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness by Brian Murphy. A few days before Christmas in 1943, Leon Crane and four other Army aviators took a retrofitted B-24 bomber out for a test flight from the Ladd Field in Fairbanks, Alaska. The flight ended in disaster, crashing in the wilderness and killing all on board except Crane – a city kid with no wilderness experience or training. Armed with the clothes on his back, a Swiss army knife, and the remains of his parachute, Crane fought for his survival by using his instincts and intellect against some of the harshest landscape in the world. Our reader says that this book is harrowing in its descriptions of the extremes that Crane had to endure, but she absolutely loved it due to the depth of research and descriptive writing. CD

The Salt Path: A Memoir by Raynor Winn is also a tale of survival in the wilderness, albeit set on the South West Coast Path of Britain. Evicted from their home after losing their life savings in a bad business deal, Winn and her husband decide to trek the 630-mile trail from Minehead, in Somerset, along the coast of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbor in Dorset. Camping on fields and hiding in private properties, Winn and her husband find that they begin to thrive in the adversity, surviving on ramen noodles and sleeping in sub-standard camping gear in the at-times brutal and always unpredictable British coastal weather. This true story of resilience, love and persistence really moved our reader, who herself has a history of long treks in the wilderness. BM

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick is quickly becoming a favorite book amongst our readers. Arthur is a sixty-nine year old widower who, on the anniversary of his wife’s death, sorts through her possessions. He comes across something that he has never seen before: a gold charm bracelet. What did this mean to Miriam? Why did she never wear it in the many years they were together? How well did he really know his wife? These questions send Arthur on a series of journeys to find out the stories behind the charms – in doing so, he uplifts and expands the lives of those he finds, and changes his own life for the better. Sweet without being sappy (and the audiobook has an amazing reader!), this is a beautifully written book about finding hope and healing in unexpected places. DC/WJ/NH

The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: A Memoir by Paul Newman. Distilled down from thousands of pages of transcripts from an oral history project that Newman and his close friend Stewart Stern began in 1986, this memoir is a raw, unflinching, and deeply human look at one of the true film icons of the past 75 years. Newman began acting at age 7, studied drama, served in the Navy, and landed his breakout film role in 1956 in the film “Someone Up There Likes Me”. What followed was one of the most storied, successful, and iconic film careers of the 20th century. Our reader was brought to tears by this book and commented on how disarming and fascinating she found this look at the life of one of the biggest movie stars in history. NH

Also mentioned:

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t by Adam Grant

Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey by Florence Williams

Strange Things in the Woods: A Collection of Terrifying Stories by Steve Stockton

The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker

The Northminster Mysteries series by Harriet Smart

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

When We Had Wings by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner

Just As I Am: A Memoir by Cicely Tyson

The Complete Guide to Memory: The Science of Strengthening Your Mind by Richard Restak

Gilded Mountain: A Novel by Kate Manning

Mean Spirit by Linda Hogan

The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Stacy Schiff

The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Treacherous Strand by Andrea Carter

Revenge of the Librarians by Tom Gauld

An Irish Country Christmas by Alice Taylor

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Alice Taylor was one of six children growing up on a farm in County Cork in the 1940s. At the time of this story, she was nine years old, an age when Christmas is still magical and filled with wonder. In this book she relates all the activity surrounding the twelve days of Christmas in a tight-knit community.

The book opens with a local merchant receiving his orders of dried fruit, knowing almost exactly how much each household will want for the Christmas baking. There’s a lot to be done to get ready, and Taylor describes it in vivid and loving detail, from going out to gather the holly to cleaning the chimneys.  There are letters to Santa to be written.  Cards arrive, even some from America. The one from Aunt Kate in New York is a glittery wonder this year, arriving far too early for Mr. Taylor’s taste, but the cheerful Santa gives the children hope that Christmas will indeed come—eventually.  The last to arrive is always the one from Uncle Dan, who left when he was 18 to become a sheep farmer in Oregon.

While Taylor beautifully captures all the excitement and anticipation of Christmas, she doesn’t shy away from the realities.  Those darling little goslings, raised so tenderly by Mr. and Mrs. Goose are destined for holiday tables and their wings will be used as dusters. The children all have to help with the farm chores, and lend a hand to neighbors when needed.

Some of these customs will seem familiar but others are relics of their time, or are family specific. The Taylors always bought new records, for example.  After Christmas Eve dinner, the gramophone is brought out so everyone can hear the new records. This year the favorite tune was “Come Back, Paddy Reilly, to Balljamesduff.” Taylor writes that the song was played constantly “until my father began to regret that his mother had not drowned Paddy Reilly in his baby bathwater….”

I was particularly intrigued by the “Hunting of the Wrens” which took place on December 26.  Thankfully, by this time real wrens weren’t hunted.  Instead, people wear disguises and go from house to house to sing for a reward.

I was charmed by the writing, especially the loving descriptions of cooking and chores.  There’s a bit of low key humor, too.  Their jennet is notorious for biting any unwary human who gets too close—Alice thinks it’s a good thing the jennet was not at the stable or baby Jesus would have been at risk, and the heifers don’t care for being rounded up.  Unpleasant things can happen around unhappy heifers. 

There’s no particular plot to this book, just a warm and wonderfully detailed account of Christmas celebrations of times past. I will admit that there were some things I wish had been explained a bit better (Women’s Christmas, for example, which is mentioned in passing as another name for Little Christmas which is January 6) but overall I just went with the flow.   It’s the perfect book to relax with during a hectic season.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

Reviewed by Kristin

In this new memoir, Matthew Perry does not hold back. He talks openly about his family, friends, and lovers. He also talks a lot about his love of a good view and the millions of dollars he has spent fighting his addictions. His honesty comes through as he talks about a whole lot of bad choices, and a few good ones, that he has made.

While being shuttled back and forth between his divorced parents, young Matthew was often sent on an airplane bearing a sign “Unaccompanied Minor”. The theme runs through the book, a kid’s loneliness and uncertainty at being put into the care of flight attendants and airport personnel at a young age. Matthew grew up, but the feeling of being unaccompanied continued. The feeling of not being good enough followed him through every relationship. Near the end he does throw out a comment like “Hey, I’m not going to do that in my next relationship, and by the way ladies, I’m still single!”

A major health problem—or you might say a disaster—helped Matthew to the realization that he had to quit smoking, drinking, and taking drugs. No spoilers here: in the very beginning he talks about his colon exploding as a result of opioid use, and the indignity of living with a colostomy bag for a year. Many surgeries later, he is still hoping that everything holds together and he won’t end up with his bodily waste collected outside of his body once again.

The book is certainly a tell-all, mostly about himself but also about those around him. While a few friends and family are always held up as blameless and supportive, Matthew also writes about those relationships that he wishes had gone another way. He’s not above name dropping either, both for celebrity exposure or for shock value. Reviews have lambasted him for mourning the death of River Phoenix and immediately lamenting that yet “Keanu Reeves still walks among us.” Matthew also repeats the line later upon hearing of Chris Farley’s death. He claims to have just picked a name out of the air, but two mentions of Keanu Reeves seems a little harsh.

For those reading just to hear about the ten-year run of the television show Friends, Matthew drops many little details about his time on the set. Mostly, he talks about how he somehow managed to work while his addictions clawed at him, and how his co-actors and producers worked with him through various stints in rehab centers. The cast truly became an ensemble as they supported each other through many highs and lows. (Cue the theme song: “I’ll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour. I’ll be there for you, like I’ve been there before. I’ll be there for you, ‘cause you’re there for me too…”

Yes, I watched Friends like many others around the world. I started rooting for Monica and Chandler to get together way before it actually happened. The show was a comfort watch in the days when you had to turn on the TV at the right time to catch your favorite characters lounging on a big orange couch in Central Perk. This memoir took me back to the places where I was in life while watching the show. It is an unflinching look at the struggles of one man, and I appreciate that Matthew is sharing this with us.

After all his health issues and rehab stays, Matthew says there is just one thing he knows he can do—he can help others trying to get clean and sober. He says that he has worked with hundreds of people in various groups. I hope that someone with their own struggles can also read this and find a bit of hope.

Nevermore: Need to Be Whole, Midnight in Siberia, Mad Honey

 

Reported by Garry 

The Need to Be Whole: Patriotism and the History of Prejudice by Wendell Berry is a newly released sociopolitical commentary by a preeminent American writer. In this new book, Berry shows how the history of dispossession, rooted in racism and the exploitation of work by others (and specifically the history of slavery), has led us to the state of social division and environmental degradation that we are currently facing. Our reader, who often reads sociopolitical books, finds this a fascinating read with a huge amount of information that she had not been aware of previously. “Excellent” is the word she used to describe this book.  DC

 

Midnight in Siberia: A Train Journey into the Heart of Russia by David Greene. In 2013, as NPR’s Moscow Bureau Chief, Greene, embarked on a series of 6,000 mile, nearly seven-day trips across the largest country in the world on the fabled Trans-Siberian Railway. Along with his interpreter, David visited with many Russians and gathered their stories for this insightful travelogue that explores the lives of everyday Russians: families with children, widows, and young people trying to figure out their lives. In doing so, Greene shows how the Russian people are warm, welcoming, and hopeful for their futures.  CD

 

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is the new suspense novel from two best-selling authors. Asher is a young man in high school who moved to Adams, New Hampshire with his mother Olivia to escape his violent father, and take over his grandfather’s bee-keeping business. Asher falls in love with Lily, also a new arrival in Adams, and for a short while, their lives are peaceful. When Lily is killed and Asher becomes the prime suspect, Olivia has to unravel the past and face the fact that her son is not the person she thought he was. Our reader exclaimed that this book was phenomenal and packed with information about bees and bee keeping (and some tasty recipes), on top of being an absolute page-turner.  NH

 

Also mentioned:

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

The Damned by Renée Ahdieh

An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Just as I Am by Cicely Tyson

One Woman’s War by Christine Wells

The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad by Matthew F. Delmont

Brave Hearted: The Women of the American West by Katie Hickman

Why am I Like This?: The Science Behind Your Weirdest Thoughts and Habits by Dr. Jen Martin

Marmee: A Novel of Little Women by Sarah Miller

Cat + Gamer by Wataru Nadatan

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

As a rule, I’m not really a manga person.  These became popular some years back, but not soon enough to become a part of my childhood which seems to be extending into old age, but I digress.  I had trouble with the reading back to front and from right to left, so I was always getting the story jumbled up.  However, some new ones featuring cats caught my eye and I decided to give them another try.

Cat + Gamer by Wataru Nadatani is the story of a young woman named Riko who works in an office.  She’s very efficient but not very sociable with her co-workers, which puzzles them.  As soon as the work day ends, she’s out the door.  What they don’t know is that Riko is an avid gamer and she heads home to settle into her video games, determined to conquer each level.  Then a stray cat shows up at the office and almost before she knows it, Riko has agreed to take the cat.  She’s sure she can “max it out” just like a video game.

The charm in the series comes from Riko’s enthusiasm but cluelessness about owning a cat. The first thing is to name it—no, wait, she has to figure out if it’s a boy or a girl. Or maybe a name that would fit both! She comes up with “Musubi,” which is a rice ball.  Now the cat will know when she talks to it. (Cat: “She says ‘musubi’ a lot recently. What does it mean??”)

Much to her surprise, she finds herself interacting with the cat at times instead of gaming—what a shock! It’s a sweet, funny comic with delightful illustrations.  I’m already on board for volume two. I’m anxious to see where the series goes from here. This is despite the fact that I’m not a gamer and am pretty clueless about some of the references.

There are some bonus scenes from the cat’s point of view as he tries to figure out this creature who seems to be his new mom.

I found myself really enjoying this manga.  Maybe I’m finally getting the hang of reading them! I noticed the common theme so dear to cat lovers, i.e. the unsuspecting person who adopts a cat only to find himself or herself besotted.  The tone is light-hearted, relaxed, and I love the way Musubi (finally revealed to be a boy after a rather humorous emergency vet visit) is drawn.  The artist really captures the postures and expressions of a cat very well.

I think I’m getting hooked on this series!

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon

 

Reviewed by Christy

Ari Abrams is a tv meteorologist who loves her job. Like, loves. She has an endless supply of weather-related jewelry, and rainy days are genuinely her favorite. Her idol growing up was Torrance Hale, Seattle’s legendary weatherwoman. When Ari got a chance to work with Torrance at the local news station, she jumped at the chance, eager to foster a mentor/mentee relationship with her hero. Unfortunately, Torrance is too distracted arguing with her ex-husband, the station’s news director. It’s been five years since the divorce but they still haven’t figured out a way to get along.

            After a disastrous holiday party (and a few rounds of drinks), Ari and sports reporter Russell Barringer plot to bring their bosses back together in order to achieve workplace harmony once again. It worked in The Parent Trap, right? How hard could it be?

            I was utterly delighted by this novel. It could be because I had just finished a slog of a book but Weather Girl felt like a refreshing misty rain. I found the leads adorable (I just loved all of Ari’s weather accessories) and sweet. I also liked that the love interest Russell was heavier set because I don’t think I’ve read that in a romance novel yet. (Although I’m sure there are more out there.) As light and fun as this novel can be, it does deal with serious topics like mental health and family dysfunction. Part of the reason I liked this so much was because the relationship obstacles did not feel contrived for the sake of having obstacles. They felt real.

            The only thing I disliked, and I will even go so far as to say that I hated it, was an event at the end of the book. Without getting into spoilers, I didn’t hate what happened but where it happened. Am I being picky? Maybe. Nevertheless, it took the air out of the moment for me.

            That being said, I loved this story! I can even see myself re-reading it when I need to pick up something fun.

Nevermore: Killers of a Certain Age, Spinster's Fortune, The Guncle

 

Reported by Garry

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn is the thrilling tale of four 60-year-old ladies who have one thing in common: they are all assassins. Sent on an all-expenses paid “retirement” cruise by the organization that has employed their unique talents for the past 40 years, the ladies quickly realize that they have been marked for death. In order to turn the tables and survive their Farewell Tour, they must rely on each other and their experiences to out a killer and turn the tables in their favor. Packed with charming characters, page turning action sequences and a great sense of humor, this book comes highly recommended by our reader.  MC

The Spinster’s Fortune by Mary Kendall is a novel loosely based on the real Blanche Magruder. In this novel, Blanche is an aging spinster who is placed in a home for the elderly and infirm under the assumption that she is mentally incompetent. Her niece, Margaret has been named executor of Blanche’s estate and must untangle the mystery of where in her now crumbling and looted Georgetown manor Blanche has hidden the family fortune. Our reader loved this gothic mystery with its extremely well planned out twists and turns that kept her guessing right up to the end.  KN

The Guncle by Steven Rowley is a hilarious novel about family, love, patience, and grief that has won the NPR Book of the Year award, and is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller. Patrick O’Hara is a former sitcom star who loves his niece and nephew – as long as he can return them to their parents when he is finished. A series of family tragedies strike and suddenly Patrick (or GUP, which is short for “Gay Uncle Patrick”) finds himself as the sole caretaker of the two young children. Patrick’s life is turned upside down by the arrival of the two under-ten children and he has to make some drastic and quick changes to his lifestyle in order to support and care for two children who have been uprooted from their home in Connecticut to Palm Springs. Our reader was deeply touched by the nuanced ways that Rowley handles situations that could, in the hands of a lesser writer, come across as maudlin or superficial.  KM

Also mentioned:

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

The Passion by Jeanette Winterson

The Red Cotton Fields series by Michael Strickland

Phantom by Greer Rivers

Falling is Not an Option: A Way to Lifelong Balance by George Locker

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

Black Mountain Breakdown by Lee Smith

Astray by Emma Donoghue

Our Voice of Fire: A Memoir of a Warrior Rising by Brandy Morin

Lark Ascending by Silas House

Good Medicine, Hard Times: Memoir of a Combat Physician in Iraq by Edward P. Horvath, MD

How All This Started by Pete Fromm

On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

Season of Yellow Leaf by Douglas C. Jones

Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome and A. Frederics

The Call of the Last Frontier:  The True Story of a Woman’s Twenty-Year Alaska Adventure by Melissa Cook

Tokyo Rose – Zero Hour (A Graphic Novel):  A Japanese American Woman’s Persecution and Ultimate Redemption After World War II by Andre R. Frattino and Kate Kasenow

Dying of Politeness by Geena Davis

This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America’s Future by Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Maria DiRico

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Mia Carina couldn’t be happier with the way things are going at the Belle View catering hall.  Well, maybe a little happier if the guest of honor at a Sweet Sixteen party wasn’t quite so needy, and maybe the Nativity-theme birthday party didn’t need real animals to show up.  However, new hire Shane Gambrazzo is certainly earning his pay as the venue’s newest employee. He’s focused, efficient, and oh, so very gorgeous! It really is too bad that Mia is determined not to get involved with one of her employees. Also, there’s the little matter of her husband who may or may not be dead—well, yeah, he probably is, but not legally as they haven’t found the body.  Yet.

Still, things are pretty good—until she gets a call from Donny Boldano from a burner phone.  Donny is family and Family with a capital F.  (Think The Godfather.) Donny assures her it’s a personal matter, not Family business.  It turns out that a family secret, one that’s proven such a bombshell that it’s threatening to tear the family apart, is driving a wedge between Jamie Boldano and his parents and brother.  Donny is hoping that Mia, as one of Jamie’s closest friends, can help ease the situation, but Jamie seems determined to burn bridges.

Mia’s own family matters take a turn for the worse when her estranged mother shows up, a woman who abandoned Mia and her brother as children and never showed any interest in reconnecting.  There has to be a scam going on, and Mia is determined not to be taken in.

To top it off, Mia’s nonna (grandmother) Elisabetta is determined to win the neighborhood Christmas decorating contest, mainly because her hated rival Jacinta is also participating.  Both women have been known to go to extremes in any contest—but would one of them go so far as to murder someone and plant the body in the holiday decorations? Especially someone who claimed to be Jamie’s long lost brother?

I have to say this has been one of my new favorite series, mostly because of the humor.  Mia is a heroine to root for, devoted to her family, ambitious, and (mostly) level-headed.  The supporting cast all have their moments, including Mia’s father whose life has picked up with his new girlfriend; her brother Posi, an attractive jailbird who is hoping to parlay his good looks into going viral on social media like the “hot felon,” Posi’s personal hero; Cammie, an employee (wink wink) who doesn’t work but who has a lot of very useful connections; the determined Elisabetta, who believes all is fair in love and war, especially war; and Teri, the determined reporter who is always on the scene and in the way.  While there are some standard cozy tropes, there seems to be a bit more effort to create more fully developed characters than in some. This is especially true in the case of Mia’s mother. The plots sometimes spin off in multiple directions and may or may not all be related; solutions have been interesting.

Mostly, I just find the books very funny.  There are two previous books in the series:

Here Comes the Body

Long Island Iced Tina

Maria DiRico is a pen name for Ellen Byron, who is the Agatha Award winning author of the Cajun Country mystery series.  I may just have to check those out as well.