The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Haven’s father was a diver and a dreamer.  He never did quite get the big find he was always searching for, but he was close. His messages to Haven conveyed his excitement—but then he died suddenly.  Now Haven has come to Positano, an area known for its many shipwrecks, and the place where her father made his last dive. She’s working for a major company and has been allowed to assemble her own dive-team, all women. The goal is to map shipwrecks, but Haven is determined to find the treasure her father believed he had found.

Two hundred years earlier, Mari DeLuca is trying to escape Positano—not so much the village, but the sea that surrounds it.  Mari is one of the Strega del mare, sea witches who have have used their magic to keep Positano safe from invaders and prosperous enough to support their families. The sea is their ally, but because the sea took her mother and her sister, Mari learned to hate the sea.  And now she may have found a way to escape it.

Penner does a lovely job of mixing supernatural elements with the reality of diving and underwater research.  Haven and Mari are both strong, interesting characters who are motivated by love, both romantic and love of family.  When the storylines come together, it’s a beautiful thing.

I was especially intrigued by the descriptions of the Strega and the ocean; it’s a complex relationship, both beautiful and terrible as the sea gives and takes.  While I am not really a fan of dual timelines, it did work out in the end.

If you’re looking for a little light fantasy, romance, and an exotic location, give The Amalfi Curse a try. 

The Central Appalachians: Mountains of the Chesapeake by Mark Hendricks

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

I picked this book up because the Bristol Public Library has started a photography club and I was interested in seeing how a professional photographer would capture the views of an area I know well.  The book turned out to be more than I bargained for, and I mean that in a good way.  It reminds me of an extra-large issue of National Geographic: many high-quality photos accompanied by informative and very readable text.

Growing up in Maryland, Hendricks became intrigued by watersheds, especially the enormous part of the Central Appalachians that sends water to the Chesapeake Bay. He concentrated on the areas contained in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, and divided the book up by seasons.  There’s more text than in most books of this type, and Hendricks sometime strikes a personal note.  For example, at one point he encounters a bobcat, an experience which leaves him excited and awed. He’s knowledgeable and observant, but he still has a sense of wonder. I found this especially interesting because he co-ordinates the Animal Behavior program in the Biological Sciences Department of Towson University. It’s nice to feel that he hasn’t become blasé about wildlife.

Other sections describe the re-introduction of elk, a profile of an Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker who happens to be a friend and mentor of the author, a man trying to save bats, and a woman trying to restore larch (a coniferous tree with bright green needles) in Finzel Swamp, as well as other interesting asides such as how he set up a trail camera and his comments about buying gear.  Ordinarily, buying gear wouldn’t be of interest to me but I liked his introduction which basically says it’s not the camera, it’s the photographer’s vision and creativity that is most important.

Of course, it’s the photos that really make the book.

Much of the terrain looked familiar to me.  There were shots that I would have guessed had been taken right in our own area, but were not.  I appreciated that in most cases Hendricks noted the general location where the photo was taken; I appreciate even more his discretion in not naming delicate or endangered areas.

This isn’t a coffee table type book, so some of the photos are a bit small. Many of these are intimate shots of small things: hellbenders, frogs, and mushrooms. I especially loved the ladyslippers. Included are mesmerizing photos of elk, deer, and bears, all beautifully done.  There are a couple of photos of rattlesnakes that I found downright startling and wondered just exactly how close the photographer was when he took them. Some shots are so beautiful that I would love to have prints to hang.  One amazing shot is a crab spider on a flower (page 85); I had to look twice before I realized it was a spider.  There’s a lot of curiosity and character in the bear photo on page 100, and a large beautiful shot of the night sky over Seneca Rocks, West Virginia on page 101. The fawn and doe shots (pp. 66 and 67) were charming; and the juxtaposition of yellow lady slippers next to a goldfinch was delightful.

He has several interesting photos of birch trees.  Normally, that’s not something I’d notice but these images are indeed arresting. It was only after I stopped and looked at perhaps the third one that I realized they were all birches.  My favorite has to be the summer shot on page 75, taken underneath a starry sky.  

I only have one quibble, and that’s the lack of an index to look for specific photos or areas. What can I say? It’s a librarian thing.

Maybe it’s just that the weather has kept me indoors too long, but I found this book to be a breath of (pollen-free) fresh air as well as one that holds out hope for the future of wild places.

Nevermore!

 The Nevermore Book Club is the library's free-spirited book club.  Members read what they want to and report, whether or not they liked the book.  Old books or new, fiction or non-fiction, Nevermore reads them all.  Here's what members were reading last week:

Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America by Beth Macy

 

The Rainmaker by John Grisham

 

Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose by Jennifer Breheny Wallace

 

The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding by Joseph J. Ellis

 

Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee

 

Every Love Story Is a Ghost Story: A Life of David Foster Wallace by D. T. Max

 

Up Front by Bill Maudlin

 

Fields and Pastures New: My First Year as a Country Vet by John McCormack

Factory Man: How One Furniture Maker Battled Offshoring, Stayed Local - And Helped Save an American Town by Beth Macy

The Wife by Alafair Burke

The Nevermore Book Club meets on Tuesdays at 10:30 am for socializing, followed by book reviews at 11:00 am.

The Little Book of Secret Societies by Joel Levy

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

The subtitle pulled me in immediately:  The World’s Most Notorious Organizations and How to Join Them.  Not that I would want to join them, since I follow the sage observation of Groucho Marx who once said he’d never join any club that have him as a member.

The book divides the societies into five broad groups:  Elite Societies (Freemasons and Illuminati, for example); Mystical and Occult Societies (Rosicrucians and Druids); Religious Societies (Knights Templar and Opus Dei); Paramilitary and Political Societies (Ninjas, Ku Klux Klan, Al-Qaeda); and Criminal Societies (Yakuza and American Mafia.)

For each entry, there is a box of quick facts, such as when the organization was founded and by whom; a history, insofar as is known; the conspiracy theories; what the skeptics say; an estimate of the global influence of the organization; and finally, a sentence or two on how to join.

Let me be honest and say that I really wasn’t expecting much from this slim volume but I was most pleasantly surprised.  Levy’s histories are succinct but surprisingly informative, and he presents a balanced tone between conspiracy theorists and skeptics, though one can usually determine what Levy really thinks from the “Global Influence” entry. The “How to Join” section is most pithy. If one wishes to become a member of the Chinese criminal fraternity called a Triad, the advice is “Learn to speak Chinese and brush up on your martial arts and invulnerability magic.”  For the Bilderberg meeting, you only have to “Make a billion dollars, get elected to high office, or make friends with a member of the steering committee.” Joining the John Birch Society is even easier—just sign up on their website.

Die-hard consipiracy theorists probably won’t enjoy this book, but if you’ve ever wondered a bit about some of the best known secret societies (now there’s an oxymoron!) this book will give you at least a basic idea.  I hadn’t heard of a number of these, and others I had only heard vague references to so I was pleased to know more.  The book lists books sources, website sources, AND has an index, which warmed my little librarian heart.

March New Fiction!

 

Andrews, Ilona This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

Benedict, Marie  Daughter of Egypt

Berg, Elizabeth  Life: A Love Story

Bowen, Rhys Vanished in the Crowd (Molly Murphy)

Brown, Sandra Bloodlust

Cavanagh, Steve Two Kinds of Stranger

Coble, Colleen  When Justice Comes 

Cosimano, Elle  Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line

El-Mohtar, Amal  Seasons of Glass and Iron:  Stories

Erdrich, Louise  Python’s Kiss: Stories

Hambly, Barbara  Death in the Palace (Silver Screen Historical Mysteries)

Haynes, Natalie  No Friend to This House

Henderson, Alice  Storm Warning (Alex Carter)

Jackson, Joshilyn  Missing Sister

Jimenez, Abby The Night We Met

Kingfisher, T.  Wolf Worm

Mallery, Susan The Bookstore Diaries

Martel, Yann Son of Nobody

McFadden, Freida  Want to Know a Secret?

Miller, C.L. The Antique Hunter’s Murder at the Castle

Pataki, Allison It Girl

Patterson, James & Viola Davis Judge Stone

Perry, Thomas  The Tree of Light and Flowers (Jane Whitefield)

Raybourn, Deanna A Ghastly Catastrophe (Veronica Speedwell)

Score, Lucy  Mistakes Were Made

Serle, Rebecca  Once and Again

Stabenow, Dana  The Harvey Girl

Stedman, M.L. A Far-Flung Life

Steel, Danielle  Felicia’s Favorites

Stevenson, Benjamin Everyone in This Bank is a Thief

Sullivan, Ariel  Beneath

Sweeney, Cynthia D’Aprix Lake Effect

Todd, Charles A Day of Judgment (Inspector Rutledge)

Unger, Lisa  Served Him Right

White, Kate  I Came Back for You

Nevermore: Country Vet, Listen for the Lie, The Anthropocene Reviewed

 

Nevermore 1-13-26

 

Country Vet: Thirty Years of Treating Animals and Trying to Understand Their Owners by Randy L. Skaggs

"This book relays my stories of being a country veterinarian in a rural area treating all sorts of animals. I have been writing down my experiences at the office and in the field for thirty years. These stories are often educational, emotional, humorous and unpredictable, but always entertaining.

This book is my first effort to share them with a wider audience. The stories involve working with all kinds of animals but also involves interacting with their owners. Sometimes the second part has been more of a challenge than the first which creates for interesting stories." - Randy L. Skaggs

Good light reading. It was laugh out loud funny. - CD 5 stars

 

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn't matter? After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy's blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It's been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can't remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life. But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast Listen for the Lie, and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy's murder for the show's second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend's murder, even if she is the one that did it. The truth is out there, if we just listen.

This is not my usual genre and it got off to a rough start, but it was good. - WJ 5 stars

 

The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green

The Anthropocene is the current geologic age, in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays, bestselling author John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale--from QWERTY keyboard and sunsets to Canada geese and Penguins of Madagascar. Funny, complex, and rich with detail, the reviews chart the contradictions of contemporary humanity. John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this masterful collection. The Anthropocene Reviewed is an open-hearted exploration of the paths we forge and an unironic celebration of falling in love with the world.

I really enjoyed this book. It was both funny and sad. I loved it! - MH 5 stars

 

 

Other Books Mentioned

Southwestern Homelands by William Kittredge

Cat Nap by Brian Lies

In the Time of Five Pumpkins (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #26) by Alexander McCall Smith

Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future by Elizabeth Kolbert

Woodcraft and Camping by George W. Sears Nessmuk

Night Came With Many Stars by Simon Van Booy

Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes, #1) by Travis Baldree

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good (Elderly Lady, #1) by Helene Tursten

Vows and Villainy by Elizabeth Penney

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

American-born Molly has really found a home in Cambridge.  Her family owns a centuries-old bookshop and Molly has made a host of friends, including Daisy and Tim who are getting married with a Shakespearean themed wedding at Hazelhurst House. This is the home of the noble Scott family, which includes Molly’s boyfriend Kiernan. The wedding is going to be quite the event, and will include performances by a troupe of Shakespearean actors who are putting on a series of plays over the summer.

But when one of the lead actors is found floating in the moat, those plans go awry—especially since members of the wedding party are among the suspects.

This is the fifth in The Cambridge Bookshop series, and Penney has built up a solid cast of characters. Molly and her friends take center stage, but I have to admit I really like some of the older member of the supporting cast, especially Molly’s Aunt Violet and her beau, Sir Jon, who are planning a wedding of their own—if Sir Jon’s ninety-five year old mother will just give her consent.

Penney is a veteran cozy author with several series to her credit and has contributed to several more.  She knows her way around all the expected mystery conventions, and Cambridge provides a marvelous setting.  While the series doesn’t have to be read in order, the various romances and weddings are possibly better enjoyed if one has some background.  I appreciated all the Shakespeare references and quotations, and that added to my enjoyment but your mileage may vary!

Other books in the series are:

Chapter and Curse

A Treacherous Tale

The Fatal Folio

Madrigals and Mayhem