Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Nevermore: Dying of Politeness, New Jersey Turnpike, Romeo Catchers, Vanishing Half



Reported by Garry

Dying of Politeness by Geena Davis is the new memoir from the two-time Academy Award winner, activist, producer and all-round screen icon. At age three, Geena decided she was going to be a movie star, and set herself on the path to realize her dreams. Paths are never typically a straight line, though, and Geena’s definitely wasn’t. Along the way, Geena has had to learn that always being the polite “Good little girl” that she was raised to be is not going to help her, and that her “journey to badassery” is a lifelong one in which she slowly has learned to revel. MS

The New Jersey Turnpike by Mike Lapolla and Thomas Suszka. This slender book chronicles the planning, construction and enduring impact of one of the most (in)famous turnpikes in America – the New Jersey Turnpike. The 117.20 mile long highway runs nearly the full length of the state, from the border with Wilmington, Delaware, in the south to the George Washington Bridge into New York City in the north. Initially built as a four-lane utilitarian highway, the turnpike has expanded over time and is now the economic engine of the state, with more than 240 million vehicles per year travelling it. This book was especially meaningful to a number of our readers as they either lived or grew up in New Jersey and have fond memories of the turnpike and its impact on their lives. MF

The Romeo Catchers by Alys Arden is book two in the supernatural themed The Casquette Girls series, set in modern day New Orleans. Seventeen-year-old Adele LeMoyne is scouring the city in order to uncover the truth about her family’s magical past. Packed full of magic, mystery, vampires, witches and SO much more, our reader highly recommends this YA series with its compelling writing, excellent character development and superbly gothic sensibilities. SH


The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is a multigenerational look at race and identity in today’s America. Desiree and Stella Vignes are identical twins who grew up in the small town of Mallard, Louisiana, a town that prides itself on having very light-skinned African Americans. The twin sisters run away at age 16, and then 14 years later Desiree comes back to town with her daughter to take care of her mother. Stella has decided to pass as white and learns to hide every detail and aspect of her past in order to maintain her new identity. But family ties have a habit of creeping back into your life when you least expect them to, and despite our best efforts the past often-times refuses to remain silent. This heartbreaking but realistic look at family, racial and gender dynamics has won multiple awards and is one of President Barack Obama’s favorite books. PP

Also mentioned:

The Asylum Confessions by Jack Steen

To All the Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han

A Year of Positive Thinking by Cyndie Spiegel 

La Guerra De La Limonada by Jacqueline Davies

On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson-Sexton

The Lake Woebegone Virus by Garrison Keillor

Outlawed by Anna North

Winter Harvest by Nora Loft

The Journal of John Vance

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick

The Horse by Geraldine Brooks

Galatea: A Short Story by Madeline Miller

J.D. Vance is a Fake Hillbilly by Frank Kilgore

The Magic Kingdom by Russell Banks


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