Nevermore: After the Cataclysm, Force of Nature, Family Lore, When I'm Dead, To Conjure a Killer, This Time Tomorrow

 Reported by Kristin 

 

We had a small group on this very cold day, but it was nice to Zoom in and talk books!

 

First up, one reader discussed After the Cataclysm: Volume II: The Political Economy of Human Rights by Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman. Covering Western influenced political movements in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, Chomsky and Herman come together again to look at how the United States is involved in the political regimes of many other world countries. Our reader expressed her fraught emotions that so many lives have been lost, decades past and continuing to the present day.

 

Another more life affirming book was mentioned by the same reader: Force of Nature by Joan M. Griffin. The non-fiction work tells the tale of three women friends, all 50-somethings, who set off to walk the beautiful John Muir trail in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Our reader noted that alongside the description of the beauty and difficulty of the trail, the author included nitty-gritty details such as the relief of receiving food and clothing packages, including the delight of being able to put on clean underclothing after days of hiking. This comes highly recommended!

 

Another reader is just getting into another new book, Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo. Dominican American Flor has a special gift--she can predict when someone will die. When Flor announces to her family that she wants to have a living wake, their responses are generally along the line of "Oh no, is Flor going to die soon??"

 

When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey interested one of our book club members, with the main characters being a husband and wife team, a police detective and a medical examiner, respectively. When bodies of their teenage daughter's friends start showing up, and then their daughter goes missing, these parents must race against the clock as they investigate the murders of the young women.

 

Clea Simon's Witch Cats of Salem series returned to Nevermore with the fourth in series To Conjure a Killer. Main character Becca is part of a young coven based in Cambridge, all members working earnestly to cast spells. Little does she know that her mystical feline friends may be the ones who have more substantial power. When Becca's ex-boyfriend shows up (dead), guess who is a prime suspect? 

 

Another recent book read was This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub. Our reader said this was another time travel or time slipping book which she keeps finding in her reading pile. Alice goes out to celebrate her 40th birthday with her lifelong best friend. Her life is okay, but somewhat mundane, and she is dealing with anticipatory grief for her hospitalized father. But when she wakes up the next morning in her childhood home with her father at the table, she realizes she has returned to her 16th birthday, and perhaps a chance to live her life a little differently. Again, and again, and again.

 

Also mentioned:

 

Sigrid Rides: The Story of an Extraordinary Friendship and an Adventure on Two Wheels by Travis Nelson

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

The Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand

The Fireman by Joe Hill

Weyward by Emilia Hart

Nevermore: Understanding Israel, Force of Nature, Lilith's Brood, Lady Elizabeth, Fascism, Winter Sisters

Reported by Ambrea

This week, Nevermore started off with How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less by Sarah Glidden.  In this graphic memoir, Glidden recounts her “Birthright Israel” tour.  Over several weeks, Glidden explored Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Golan Heights, Masada, and other locations throughout Israel, learning about the local culture and shattering her preconceived beliefs about the country she thought she knew.  Our reader said How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less was an excellent graphic novel, noting it was the first one she’d ever read in her life.  She said she became so involved with Glidden’s journey, and she found herself drawn in by the author’s realizations.  “It’s worth reading,” our reader concluded, saying she believed it was worth reading for the insight it provided on Israel.

Next, Nevermore checked out A Force of Nature by Jane Harper, a suspenseful novel about a missing hiker—and the betrayal that led to her disappearance.  Federal agent Aaron Falk is tasked with finding the hiker, who went missing on a corporate retreat; however, as he travels deeper into the forest, he uncovers a tangled web of personal and professional friendship, competition, and suspicion.  Our reader said A Force of Nature was a very good book, a real page turner.  It often flipped between alternate perspectives, providing a very surprising twist at the end.  She highly recommended it to her fellow mystery lovers.

Nevermore also looked at Lilith’s Brood by Octavia E. Butler, a science fiction compendium featuring Dawn, Adulthood Rites, and Imago.  Lilith Iyapo was in the Andes when the world ended.  Centuries later, she is reawakened by extraterrestrial beings known as the Oankali.  Drawn to humanity and their dying planet, the Oankali are set on saving the Earth—but at what cost to humankind?  Our reader originally picked up the trilogy to read Dawn, but she quickly became engulfed by the story and devoured the remaining novels.  She said she was addicted to Lilith’s Brood, and she praised Butler for her wonderful writing and her incredible stories.

Next, Nevermore visited the Elizabethan era with Alison Weir’s novel, The Lady Elizabeth.  Following the life of Queen Elizabeth from her toddling years to her eventual transformation into the Virgin Queen, The Lady Elizabeth is a detailed and riveting novel that draws together real historical detail and a dramatic, engaging story.  Our reader was thrilled with Weir’s novel, calling it a wonderful book that offered glimpses into the complex political and social dynamics of the era.  She also called the author’s note excellent, saying it was lovely to see Weir’s insight into Elizabeth’s life and her dedication to getting the history right.

Skipping closer to the present, Nevermore took a look at Fascism:  A Warning by Madeline Albright.  Albright’s latest book scrutinizes the twentieth century, offering terrifying insight into the fascists of the early twentieth century—Hitler, Mussolini, and others—and their impact on contemporary leaders, like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un.  Our reader said Fascism:  A Warning was an interesting book.  Although the chapters were not incredibly detailed, they offered an interesting argument that fascism certainly did not die at the end of World War II.  Overall, she rated the book very highly and recommended it to her fellow readers for its intriguing study of past rulers and modern leaders.

Last, but certainly not least, Nevermore presented Winter Sisters by Robin Oliviera.  When two little girls go missing after a snow storm decimates the city of Albany, Dr. Mary Sutter, a former Civil War surgeon, sets out to find them.  They are the daughters of close friends who were killed during the storm, and she refuses to let them simply disappear without a fight.  However, when the little girls’ fates are finally revealed, their recovery has the potential to tear apart the city, exposing dark secrets and destroying reputations.  Our reader, who is a fan of Robin Oliviera’s novels, said Winter Sisters was an excellent book.  Although she noted it was a bit of a complex story, she said it was riveting and kept her tied to the pages from the first chapter.