Nevermore: Death in a Texas Desert; A Wizard of Earthsea; Patron Saint of Lost Dogs; The Lioness

 

Reported by Garry

Death in a Texas Desert: And Other True Crimes from the Dallas Observer by Carlton Stowers. This collection of 20 murder stories from the pages of the Dallas Observer fascinated our reader with the weird and gruesome ways that people have died in the Lone Star State. This book covers several decades and includes the stories of the “Phantom Killer” of the Texarkana Moonlight Murders in 1946, and the case of Luby’s Cafeteria – a mass shooting that took place in Killeen in 1991.  CD

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin is the classic fantasy novel about Ged, a young wizard whose hard-scrabble life on the island of Gont changes when he is taken under the wing of Ogion the Silent – a powerful mage. Ged is extraordinarily talented and a quick learner and is soon sent to the Wizard School on the island of Roke. Unfortunately for Ged, his quick temper and impetuousness nearly cost him his life and he has to learn the hard lesson that power is a double-edged sword. First published in 1968, this young adult novel is our Community Reads book, and can be read at multiple levels. A fascinating, groundbreaking tale of a young man coming of age with incredible powers, this book is the first in Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle of novels, all of which our reader highly recommends.  GW

Patron Saint of Lost Dogs by Nick Trout is total fluff – extremely delightful, just-plain-fun fluff, and our reader utterly enjoyed every page of it! Dr. Cyrus Mills returns to town to dispose of his deceased father’s veterinary practice, but as soon as the first patient (a golden retriever named Frieda Fuzzypaws), comes through the door, his plans go out the window. Cyrus soon realizes that his past experiences in the town don’t have to dictate his future there, and that it is not just his furry patients who need healing.  WJ

The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian is set in 1964 in Tanzania where A-list Hollywood star Katie Barsto and her new husband have travelled on their honeymoon, along with a group of their friends. Expecting a glamourous, sun-drenched luxury vacation, the group is soon beset by terror as a team of Russian mercenaries kidnap them and their vacation turns to a struggle for life. Our reader enjoyed this novel, especially the numerous quotes from classic movies, and recommends this book if you are looking for a sharply written page-turner.  ML

Also mentioned:

Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey

Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben

Catwings by Ursula Le Guin

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

Dog Gone, Back Soon by Nick Trout

Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up by Tom Phillips

Truth: A Brief History of Total Bullsh*t by Tom Phillips

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Rivers of London (aka Midnight Riot) by Ben Aaronovitch

Nevermore: My Sunshine Away, March, Calypso, Water Is Wide, Night Strangers, Birchbark House, 1491

 

This week’s Nevermore opened with the book My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh.  Set in Baton Rouge in the 1980s, the book is narrated by a 14 year old boy with a crush on Lindy Simpson, a slightly older neighborhood girl.  The seemingly idyllic area is rocked when Lindy is raped and our narrator is determined to bring the perpetrator to light.  Although the themes are dark, our reviewer said that the crime isn’t the real focus of the book.  It is suspenseful but it’s more a coming of age story as told by an appealing character.  The one criticism of this otherwise well written book is that at several points the narrator would start to impart some important piece of information only to say, “I’ll tell you about that later.”  She found that quite frustrating, but still recommends the book.

 

Another literary delight was March by Australian author Geraldine Brooks which imagines the life of Mr. March, father of the Little Women family.  In the book, he is largely absent because of the Civil War which was raging at the time.  Brooks tells that hidden part of March’s story, basing the tale (as did Louisa May Alcott) on the real Alcott family.  Our reviewer found it well written and intriguing, and the entire group took an interest in the “story behind the story.”

 

David Sedaris’ Calypso continues to delight readers and listeners.  Again, it was in audio book format, as listener after listener praised Sedaris for his wonderful and expressive voice.  Most had first heard him on NPR, either as part of “This American Life” or else one of the other programs.  Everyone has found his stories of family dynamics to be quite relatable and very, very funny.  The current listener has moved on to another collection of his essays, this one with a seasonal theme:  Holidays on Ice.

Poisoner in Chief by Stephen Kinzer took the group discussion into darker territory.  Starting in the 1950s, chemist Sidney Gottlieb worked with the CIA on various drugs and techniques for mind control.  The idea was to attempt to re-program people, and to develop interrogation techniques to break even the most stubborn of prisoners.  Experiments were even carried out on civilians without their knowledge, sometimes with horrifying results.  Gottlieb’s research is still used today.  It’s a book both fascinating and appalling in equal measure, and should be required reading.

 

 While Pat Conroy is best known for his novels such as The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini, one of his first books was actually a memoir.  The Water Is Wide is his account of teaching on Daufuskie Island, South Carolina in 1969.  His pupils knew very little of life in the outside world beyond the island.  Conroy sought to expose them to the wider world, wanting to make a positive difference in their lives. The book is based on Conroy’s experiences but has been somewhat fictionalized, including the name of the island.  The book is recommended.

 

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian is set in a small town in New Hampshire.  Chris, his wife Emily, and twin daughters have just moved to town in search of a new start after the crash of a plane Chris was piloting which resulted in the deaths of 39 passengers.  At first, the family enjoys the attentions of the new neighbors and exploring the house, but soon strange things begin happening.  Some of the local women seem to be taking a lot of interest in the couple’s daughters and Chris thinks he can hear some of the dead passengers.  Our reader says it was kind of a weird book, rather scary, but interesting.  She didn’t think it was one of his best but still good.

 

Next up was The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich. Set in 1847 near what is now called Lake Superior, the story centers around Omakayas, an Ojibwa (Chippewa) girl, and her family.  Rich with detail and history, our reader felt that Erdrich’s books should have a much wider audience and recommend her work to all.  Most of her books deal with Native American culture—Erdrich herself is Chippewa—and all are excellent.

Finally, 1491:  New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus by Charles C. Mann was promoted as a fascinating look at pre-European North and South America.  Mann wants to dispel the idea that it was a pristine wilderness but was instead host to sophisticated societies and cultures who created cities, governmental structures, advanced agricultural techniques, and more.  Mann makes sometimes complex subjects very accessible to the average reader.  Our reviewer praised the book and found it fascinating.