Nevermore: Serena, Ministry of Time, Tell Me Everything

 

Nevermore 9-24-24

Reported by Rita

Serena: a Novel by Ron Rash

Traveling to the mountains of 1929 North Carolina to forge a timber business with her new husband, Serena Pemberton champions her mastery of harsh natural and working conditions but turns murderous when she learns she cannot bear children.

Beautifully articulated, thought-provoking, and powerful. I loved it.  – KN  5 stars

 

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

To establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also the fabric of space-time, a “bridge” who lives with, assists, and monitors the expat known as“1847” or Commander Graham Gore falls fervently in love with consequences she never could've imagined—ones that could change the future.

Funny at times, this was good escapism.    – MH     4 stars

 

Tell Me Everything: a Novel by Elizabeth Strout

While defending a lonely, isolated man accused of killing his mother, town lawyer Bob Burgess falls into a deep and abiding friendship with acclaimed writer Lucy Barton. Together, they meet the iconic Olive Kitteridge and spend afternoons in Olive's apartment, telling each other stories, which imbue their lives with meaning.

Many characters from other books make appearances. LOVE, LOVE, LOVED IT!  Two thumbs up!  - CD    5 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

By Any Other Name  by Jodi Picoult

 The Moonflowers by Abigail Rose-marie

The Cider House Rules by John Irving

The Maid : a Novel by Nita Prose

Lovely in Her Bones by Sharyn McCrumb

Staggerford by Jon Hassler

A Green Journey by Jon Hassler

Dear James by Jon Hassler

Holy City : a Novel by Henry Wise

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

New Books

A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopson

Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova

Katharine, the Wright Sister by Tracey Enerson Wood

Suffrage Song : the Haunted History of Gender, Race and Voting Rights in the United States of America by Caitlin Cass

The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg

 

Reviewed by Kristin

Martha Andersson has had a good life, but is having a little trouble adjusting to conditions at Diamond House, a Swedish old age pensioners’ home. The problem is that Nurse Barbara is cutting corners. Profits are down, or at least not as high as the new director desires, and suddenly sticky buns and cake are no longer in the budget. Other amenities are likewise limited, and Martha and her friends are chafing a bit in the sparse accommodations.

Martha hatches a plan with Christina, Anna-Gretta, and the men—nicknamed Brains and Rake. They are going to become art thieves. After all, no one would suspect a group of oldies walking with the aid of Zimmer frames to be the ones kidnapping art from the National Museum. “The League of Pensioners” is born, and they are stomping their orthopedic shoes on their way to riches.

The pensioners hone their skills with a small robbery at a nearby hotel, then move on to the big times. The police have no idea how those paintings (Monet and Renoir!) disappeared or who tried to ransom them. They dismiss the old people as dithering fuss-budgets who are just confused, bless their hearts.

Told with humor, The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules is achingly clever, and funny even to those of us who haven’t reached retirement age yet. This book reminded me of the Elderly Lady series by Helene Tursten. Those short volumes (An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good and An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed) are also set in Sweden and are laugh out loud funny.

This is the first book in the series.

We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida, translated by E. Madison Shimoda

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Shuta Kawaga is struggling with his job.  It’s a prestigious company and he should be happy but the long hours, callous treatment of employees, and a horrible boss are weighing him down. He’s having trouble sleeping, he doesn’t want to eat, he’s miserable and yet he can’t bring himself to quit.  What he needs, he thinks, is some counseling to help him cope. That’s how he ends up at the odd little clinic in a narrow alleyway.  It definitely doesn’t fit his view of a highly recommended doctor’s office, but he’s already run through all the local clinics and none have helped.  He’s feeling a little desperate and ready to try something different.

This place turns out to be a little more different than he anticipated.

For one thing, the doctor prescribes him a cat. 

A real cat.

Bewildered, Shuta heads home with his furry medication, only to find out that the instructions for use are not as thorough as he would have liked. . . .

We’ll Prescribe You a Cat is a series of stories about different people who seek help from the “Clinic for the Soul” from a frustrated office worker to a designer at an upscale store.  All are struggling with both their personal and professional lives.  All end up at the mysterious clinic with a rather sullen nurse and off-beat doctor. I’ve read and enjoyed several of these episodic Japanese novels, many of which have similar themes of sorting out what one thinks one wants as opposed to what one really wants.  In some ways, this book does follow that theme, providing attitude adjustments in the best sense of the phrase, but it does something a bit different with an overall story line that is gradually revealed.  I hesitate to say more because I don’t want to spoil it, but I was charmed and a bit teary-eyed at the end.  While Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa remains my favorite, I have to say that this book is a very strong second.  It is an absolute delight.  I am buying my own copy, which is my highest recommendation.

Nevermore: One by One, Dragon from Chicago, The Husbands

 

Nevermore 9-17-24

Reported by Rita

One by One by Freida McFadden

Forced to hike to their hotel after their minivan breaks down, a group of friends finds themselves hopelessly lost in the woods. Soon, they are each struck down mysteriously one by one, making them wonder if an animal is hunting them — or if the hunter is one of them.

It was predictable, and I figured it out pretty quickly. However, it was still enjoyable.    – NH    5 stars

 

The Dragon from Chicago: the Untold Story of an American Reporter in Nazi Germany by Pamela D. Toler

Drawing on extensive archival research, this captivating look at Sigrid Schultz, one of the earliest reporters to warn Americans of the growing dangers of Nazism, shows how she exposed the Nazis for misreporting the news to their own people — a powerful example of how we can reclaim truth in an era of disinformation and “fake news.”

I sometimes found it boring, but it was well-written with lots of details. I liked it.     –KM    5 stars

 

The Husbands: a Novel by Holly Gramazio

When she discovers the attic in her London flat is creating an infinite supply of husbands, waking up to a slightly altered life each day, Lauren confronts the question: if swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you've taken the right path?

A completely frivolous read that I really enjoyed.     – MH    4 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

 The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Afanasevich Bulgakov

Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

Medicine Is the Best Laughter by John McPherson

Travel As a Political Act by Rick Steves

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

James: a Novel by Percival Everett

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

Neither Wolf Nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads With an Indian Elder by Kent Nerburn

Serena: a Novel by Ron Rash

Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

New Books

Necessary Trouble: Growing Up at Midcentury by Drew Gilpin Faust

We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance by Kellie Carter Jackson

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

All This & More by Peng Shepherd

Veterans Day 2024

Thank you for your service

 

The Vanishing Type by Ellery Adams

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

When the weather turns cold, my thoughts turn to cozy books.  While Ellery Adams’ Secret, Book, and Scone Society novels are murder mysteries, they’re also about as warm and cozy as they come.  Set in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, the stories revolve around four friends:  Nora, who owns a bookshop; Hester, who is a baker; Estella, the hairdresser; and June, who is a manager at the Miracle Springs Spa.  All these women have suffered tragedy and trials, but they band together to uplift one another and form a chosen family.

In The Vanishing Type, Nora is shocked to find that someone has taken a knife to all the copies of A Scarlet Letter. While it could be a high school student unhappy with having to read Hawthorne, somehow this seems a little more personal—especially since the vandalism targets the name Hester.  Nora keeps this to herself as Hester’s personal life is on the upswing: her longtime beau is ready to pop the question, and Nora and the other Society members are helping him to make the moment perfect.

Then a body turns up, and it appears that a secret from Hester’s past may be about to catch up with her.

The coziness of Adams’ series comes not from the delicious-sounding baked goods, delicious coffees and teas, the love of books—authors and titles are name-dropped regularly—but also from the warmth of the women’s friendship.  I like that all the women have overcome hardships in their lives, so that they face difficult times and situations with courage.  It also makes them empathetic toward others.  Adams does a wonderful job with descriptions.  The food sounds wonderful, but in this book I was enchanted by the descriptions of the artwork in some old novels—I could almost see the book covers.  Actually, I also wanted to read the (non-existent) books.  There is an interesting mix of supporting characters, including some romantic interests for the leading ladies but I also like that Adams doesn’t make every relationship a certainty. 

While this is fifth book in the series, it reads well as a standalone.  If you’re in the market for a comforting, feel-good read with resilient women characters, this would be an excellent choice.

Nevermore: Letters from a Stoic, Natural Selection, Twelve Patients

 

Nevermore 9-10-24

Reported by Rita

Seneca's Letters from a Stoic by Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Along with the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, Seneca's Letters from a Stoic is one of the major texts of Roman Stoic philosophy. Themes include the rational order of the universe, how to lead a simple life, the effects and benefits of misfortune, and the necessity of facing mortality.

His letters offered good advice, much of which is still relevant today.      –MP     4 stars

 

Natural Selection by Elin Hilderbrand

When her boyfriend bails at the last minute, a New York woman embarks on their couples’ cruise alone to find that maybe the person she was supposed to fall in love with was herself. Note:  Short story e-book, Amazon original.

A light read. I thought it had a very satisfying ending.     –CD      5 stars

  

Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital by Eric Manheimer

The medical director of Bellevue Hospital in New York uses the lives and conditions of 12 different patients, from a Riker's Island prisoner to a suicidal private school student, to take a snapshot of modern society.

While it was sometimes heavy with medical details, the stories were beautiful and very informative. I really enjoyed it.     –NH     5 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

Never Lie by Freida McFadden

The Locked Door by Freida Mcfadden

The Teacher by Freida McFadden

The Coworker by Freida McFadden

A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by Eric Newby

The King of Children: The Life and Death of Janusz Korczak by Betty Jean Lifton

King Matt the First by Janusz Korczak

Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

New Books

Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We'll Win the Climate War by Tom Steyer

Deep Water: The World in the Ocean by James Bradley

Deep Space: Beyond the Solar System to the Edge of the Universe and the Beginning of Time by Govert Schilling

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

Strange Folk by Alli Dyer

A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopson