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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