New in August!

 

Andrews, Donna  Probable Caws (Meg Langslow)

Barclay, Linwood Not a Word

Blake, Olivie Dreamland

Bohjalian, Chris The Amateur

Bowen, Rhys The Castle in the Glen

Brooks, Terry  Brona: The First Druids of Shannara

Constantine, Liv Promise Me Never

Ellison, J.T.  You Know Why

Gardner, Lisa You’ll Be Sorry

Gerritsen, Tess The Shadow Friends (Martini Club)

Gilbert, Victoria Death on the Books (Blue Ridge Library)

Gilmore, Lucy A Thousand Little Goodbyes

Graham, Heather These Ancient Bones

Hannah, Sophie The Opposite of Murder

Hillier, Jennifer Heart of Glass

Johnston, Anna  When Lemons Give You Life

Krueger, William Kent God’s Country (Cork O’Connor)

Lagercrantz, David  Post Mortem

Maehrer, Hannah Nicole  Adversary to the Villain

McFadden, Freida  Brain Damage

Michaels, Fern The Boat House

Moriarty, Laura Sunlight Finds You

Moriarty, Liane   Big Little Truths

Patterson, James Delusional (Michael Bennett)

Pekkanen, Sarah The Women in White

Pinborough, Sarah  They Say a Girl Died Here

Rose, Karen  The One Who Walked Away

Russo, Richard Under the Falls

Sager, Riley  The Unknown

Simon, Nina  My Sister is Going to Kill Me

Slaughter, Karin The Secrets We Hide (North Falls)

Steel, Danielle  The True Meaning of Love

Sullivan, Archer Brimstone Hollow (Annie Gore)

Urquhart, Alaina  The Butcher Legacy

Nonfiction

Hamdani, Sasha Too Sensitive: Rejection, Resilience, and the Science of Feeling Deeply

Lepore, Jill The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State

McBride, Lucy  Beyond the Prescription: A Doctor’s Guide to Taking Charge of Your Health

McTier, Moiya Mothers of Invention: A History of Creativity from the Greek Muses

Perlmutter, David Brain Defenders: Harness the Power of Your Immune Cells to Protect Your Brain for Life

Roberts, Sam  Are They Dead Yet? The Art of the Obit

Summers, Julia  The Everest Mystery: Sandy Irvine, George Mallory, and the Truth Still Buried on Everest

Swift, Earl  Up on Cove Mountain: Adventure, Tragedy, and a Quest for Meaning on the Appalachian Trail

Nevermore: Driving Miss Norma, Cults, Truly Madly Guilty

Nevermore 8-12-25

Reported by Rita

 

Driving Miss Norma: One Family's Journey Saying "Yes" to Living by Tim Bauerschmidt, Ramie Liddle

When Miss Norma was diagnosed with uterine cancer, she was advised to undergo surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. But instead of confining herself to a hospital bed for what could be her last stay, Miss Norma—newly widowed after nearly seven decades of marriage—rose to her full height of five feet and told the doctor, “I’m ninety years old. I’m hitting the road.” And so Miss Norma took off on an unforgettable around-the-country journey in a thirty-six-foot motor home with her retired son Tim, his wife Ramie, and their dog Ringo.

A good book about end-of-life living: it was sweet and enjoyable. - CD 5 stars

 

Cults: Inside the World's Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them by Max Cutler

The founder of a popular podcast studio and a national best-seller join forces to describe what goes on inside the minds of cult leaders and also the mindset of their followers, from Manson to Applewhite and Koresh to Raël.

Filled with horrific details, but I couldn't stop reading. -NH 4 stars

 

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

A busy couple, formerly on the brink of realizing their dreams, reflects on a fortuitous gathering with their best friends and another couple, in a tale that explores the role of guilt in relationships and the power of everyday moments in family life.

A nice light beach read that I enjoyed. - VC 5 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

A Pictorial History Bristol VA TN by Bristol Historical Association

The Nag Hammadi Scriptures by Marvin W. Meyer

Abandoned Southern Virginia: The South Begins by Liz Roll

Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas by Tom Robbins

Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey

 

New Books:

The Place of Tides by James Rebanks

The Road That Made America: A Modern Pilgrim's Journey on the Great Wagon Road by James Dodson

Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart

Typewriter Beach by Meg Waite Clayton

The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani

Nevermore: Valley of the Kings, After Coal, 100 Year Old Man, and More!

Reported by Kristin

Nevermore went straight into weighty subjects this week, with our first reader reporting upon Valley of the Kings: Exploring the Tombs of the Pharaohs by John Romer.  Filled with glittery gold and other unique artifacts discovered in Egyptian royal tombs, this volume is well organized and thorough.  Jammed full of facts, our reader said that in fact it was a little dense, and it was a little like “shoveling snow that has been soaked in rain water for twenty years” just to get through it.

After that was After Coal: Stories of Survival in Appalachia and Wales by Tom Hansell.  Many comparisons have been drawn between Appalachia and parts of the British Isles as they have a geologic similarity.  Coal mining helped to build the economies of both regions, and the depletion of easily mined resources has brought hardship to both as well.  Our reader was fascinated by the parallel timelines experienced on both sides of the Atlantic.

The same reader found some humor in a work of fiction:  The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson.  Allan Karlsson is reluctantly living in a nursing home even though he is in good health and feels perfectly able to live on his own.  Faced with his upcoming 100^th birthday party, Allan decides to skip out, through the window, that is.  Our reader chuckled at Allan’s history as a side figure in some of the most important pieces of history during his lifespan as he connected in some small way with Stalin, Churchill, Mao, and other world leaders.

Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty brought a smile to another reader’s face.  A trio of sisters, Lyn, Cat, and Gemma Kettle, are busy living their lives in Australia.  The thirty-three year old women deal with love and family, individually as well as within their special triplet bond.  Our reader found it light, funny, and worth reading.

Another reader enjoyed Freefall, a debut novel by Jessica Barry.  When Allison is presumed dead from a small aircraft crash in the Rocky Mountains, her mother Maggie just can’t believe that it could be true.  Our book club member commented that the story was fast moving and intriguing, and right in your face from the very beginning all the way to a huge twist at the end.  However, another reader dissented, saying that she found the book rather formulaic and was not surprised by the ending, and even found herself disappointed that she had wasted the time to read the entire book.

Returning to non-fiction, another reader picked up Tell Me Everything You Don’t Remember: The Stroke That Changed My Life by Christine Hyung-Oak Lee.  At age thirty-three, Lee experienced confusing symptoms which culminated in the diagnosis of a stroke.  During her recovery, she went through many changes in her marriage, having a child, and learning to work in the corporate world again without the benefit of a filter for her thoughts.  Our reader enjoyed her straightforwardness and sympathized with the difficulties Lee faced.

Finally, another reader attempted to read the fourth in the private eye Cormoran Strike series:  Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling.)  However, our reader managed to get through about ten pages (of 656) and decided that “what this woman needs is a good editor.”  She decided to return the book for the benefit of another more patient library patron.

Ambrea will return tomorrow with her review of The Return of the King.

Moriarity Returns A Letter by Michael Robertson

Reviewed by Jeanne

This is the fourth in the Baker Street Mystery series by Michael Robertson.  The premise is that whoever rents certain business suites ends up as the guardian of letters sent to the building’s fictional occupant, Sherlock Holmes.  The present tenant is Reggie Heath who, along with his brother, Nigel, is expected to send out responses to the letters. For me, the series has been a bit uneven.  The first book didn’t grab me, but the next two were delightful.

Which brings us to book number four, Moriarty Returns a Letter.  The story opens in 1893, with an American undercover agent being held by a gang.  He’s been setting them up, but now they’re suspicious and he is in mortal danger.  Then the scene shifts to 1944, when an American officer enters a pub. Finally, the timeline moves to 1998 (aka “present day”) where first a strange young woman is saved from the river, before the appearance of the series regulars.

Reggie and his fiancée, Laura, are planning an elaborate engagement celebration when he’s called upon to bring in samples of some of the Holmes letters.  A local hotel is mounting an historical exhibit involving other local businesses, and Reggie is expected to help set up the display.

And then events really start to move. . .

As you may gather from the above, describing the book is a bit difficult.  I found it somewhat slow going until we reach the present day, but from that point on the story moves at a quick pace.  The characters are well done, humor and drama co-exist compatibly, and the result is a memorable story.  This is especially true for those who have read the third book in the series as a character from that book returns.  The books feature mystery, some romance, and some chuckles. I don't know how someone unfamiliar with the series would react.  If you are unfamiliar with the series and do decide to give this book a try, by all means let us know here how that turned out!

Reviews of the two of the previous books are here. The series order is:

1.       The Baker Street Letters

2.       The Brothers of Baker Street

3.       The Baker Street Translation

4.       Moriarty Returns a Letter

5.       The Baker Street Jurors (due out in 2016)

Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

Reviewed by Ambrea

 Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz opens at the close of Sherlock Holmes’ apparent last case, “The Final Problem,” in which Holmes confronts Professor James Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls. Horowitz basically picks up where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle left off and, in some small measure, focuses on what happens to the world’s favorite detective and his arch nemesis. Horowitz, however, takes a surprising turn and introduces a new character: Frederick Chase, an investigator with the Pinkerton Detective Agency of New York.

 And Frederick Chase isn’t alone. Horowitz also introduces a new villain, a man who rivals James Moriarty in his duplicity and his invisibility, a man who may very well be seeking to extend his criminal empire over the sea to fill the shoes of Europe’s “Napoleon of Crime.”

I was intrigued by the premise, especially since Horowitz decided to recycle characters from Conan Doyle’s mysteries, like Inspector Athelney Jones and Inspector Lestrade. Jones appears to take the place of our beloved Sherlock. As an ardent student of Holmes’ methods, Jones takes center stage, pinpointing unexpected clues, making great leaps of logic with inexplicable ease, and cornering criminals. Jones makes an intriguing character and, I will say, a fine detective.

 Likewise, Frederick Chase makes a fine narrator. He, like Dr. John Watson, documents events surrounding the case, providing a candid account and detailed insight for the reader. I find I like Detective Chase for his candor and his ability to pen a riveting story; however, I found I was a little alarmed by his allusions to the future—and for good reason.

The final two chapters of Moriarty see the entire plot unraveling, reaching a climax that I certainly didn’t expect. I mean, the conclusion of Horowitz’s novel was like a punch in the stomach. Although the narrator alludes to future events, to the potential for tragedy, I didn’t expect events to unfold as they did. In concluding the novel as he did, Horowitz created a truly brilliant—and truly terrifying—villain.

 My one complaint about Moriarty is the pace. Although Chase and Inspector Jones consistently find themselves wedged in a spot of trouble, stumbling into dangerous situations and bizarre adventures that should surely keep the reader intrigued, I would occasionally lose interest in the development of the story. With so many unanswered questions, so many twists that consistently seemed to develop into nothing, I was not the most dedicated reader and I frequently took breaks between chapters. While the final two chapters proved to be the most exciting, the others were much less so.

Note: With the release of the new Sherlock Homes movie starring Ian McKellan as an elderly version of the detective, we thought this was an appropriate time to post a this review.  The movie is based on the book A Slight Trick of the Mind by Mitch Cullin.  There is a review of that book here.