Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Nevermore: Everybody Behaves Badly, Taking of Jemima Boone, Before She Disappeared, Pickles Tails

 


In the summer of 1925, Ernest Hemingway wrote his first best-selling novel, The Sun Also Rises.  He based the characters on some of his friends and companions at the time, a decision which ended a lot of friendships.  Author Lesley Blume in her book Everybody Behaves Badly examines some of the real people behind these characters and how Hemingway began to create his own legend.  Our reviewer said it was aptly named, as everyone did behave badly and while she had never been a Hemingway fan, she certainly wasn’t one now. 


 

The Taking of Jemima Boone by Matthew Pearl was praised by our next Nevermore member.  The author is both a novelist and a historian, and she very much enjoyed learning about Daniel Boone and his family.  She noted that the book covered much more than just thirteen year old Jemima’s capture by Cherokee and Shawnee warriors, but how the settlers and natives interacted as the American War for Independence begins. She recommends the book.


 

Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner features Frankie Elkin, a detective who specializes in finding missing persons.  She is especially drawn to those cases where there seem to be no leads, which is how she finds herself in Boston, tending bar while she looks for missing teenager Angelique Badeau.  It turns out that Angelique wasn’t the only girl in the neighborhood who is missing, and Frankie may be getting into more than she bargained for with this case.  The reader said she usually enjoys Lisa Gardner’s books because the author tells a gripping story.  Recommended for anyone who likes thrillers and page turners. 


 

Finally, Pickles Tails:  The Hijinks of Muffin and Roscoe by Brian Crane is a collection of Pickles comic strips featuring Muffin the cat and Roscoe the dog as well as their owners Earl and Opal, a long-time married couple who know just how to push each other’s buttons.  Our reviewer said it was a delight and brightened her day.  Anyone who needs a laugh should give it a try.

Other titles mentioned:

The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen

Next Year in Havana by Chantel Cleeton

Golden Age by Jane Smiley

On Animals by Susan Orlean

Lake Crescent: A Creature X Mystery by J.J. Dupuis

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