Nevermore May 17, 2022
Reported by Garry
Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America’s Founders by Dennis C. Rasmussen. One would think that the Founding Fathers would have been extremely proud and optimistic about their crowning glory, the United States Constitution. They weren’t. Partisan bickering and campaigns of misinformation threatened to tear the country apart from the very beginning and most of them did not believe that the U.S. would survive long. This very enlightening book outlines how and why the Fathers were both disappointed and pessimistic about the outcome of this country and the experiment in democracy that they started. Our reader loves this book so much that she has read it twice so far in just a few weeks, and was moved to tears by the dedication shown by the writers of the Constitution, who toiled for months to establish the world’s first democracy. DC
The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon is a sun-soaked summer read set in the extremely small fictional Italian town of Prometto (population 212). Faced with having the town shut down due to faulty and aging water pipes, the self-appointed mayor decides to start a rumor that a famous movie star is coming to town to film his latest blockbuster, in a hair-brained bid to bring tourists (and their money) to town. Best-laid plans go awry when the fictional film takes on a life of its own with nearly every member of the town (plus others) wanting to participate in one way or another, and Signor Speranza (the mayor) realizing he may have to make the movie himself. This hilarious, heartfelt debut novel was a hit with our reader, who thought it was a perfect summer-getaway novel. WJ
Left on Tenth: A Second Chance at Life is a memoir by Delia Ephron, sister to Nora Ephron. A best-selling and highly accomplished screenwriter in her own right, Delia recounts a horrific few years of dealing with not only the death of both her husband and sister within a short time but her own battle with a particularly aggressive form of leukemia. Against this backdrop of sorrow and trial, Delia unexpectedly falls in love with a man that she had very briefly dated fifty-four years previously. (So briefly that she had completely forgotten all about him and didn’t even recall dating him in the first place!) This touching and honest memoir was praised by our reader for the writing, but she did criticize how economically out of touch the author is when complaining about being “broke” and only being able to go to the South of France twice a year. NH
The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith is a modern novel following Greta James, an up-and-coming musical artist. After the sudden death of her mother, Greta falls apart on stage during a performance. The footage goes viral and Greta, shocked and embarrassed, stops playing altogether. Her career on the precipice, she reluctantly agrees to accompany her father on a cruise meant to have been a celebration of her parent’s fortieth anniversary. On board, she meets Ben Wilder, a historian dealing with his own loss. Love, loss, healing, and the beautiful surroundings of Haynes, Alaska was a real hit with our reader, whose own son lives in Haynes. MH
Also mentioned:
Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler
Winter Hero by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
Never Simple by Liz Scheier
From the Hood to the Holler: A Story of Separate Worlds, Shared Dreams, and the Fight for America’s Future by Charles Booker
Junk Science and the American Criminal System by M. Chris Fabricant
Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan
Paradise by Toni Morrison
Look For Me by Lisa Gardner
The Pact by Jodi Picoult
Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential by Caroline Myss
The Echoes by Jess Montgomery
Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
Prairie Fever by Michael Parker
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
The Wise Ass by Tom McCaffrey
Playing Doctor - Part One: Medical School: Stumbling through with Amnesia by John Lawrence
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline
The American Women’s Almanac by Deborah G. Felder
The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy
Hell and Other Destinations: A 21st-Century Memoir by Madeleine Albright
There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important than Kindness: And Other Thoughts on Physics, Philosophy and the World by Carlo Rovelli
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