Nevermore: Don't Make Me Pull Over, Portrait of a Murderer, Bonesetter's Daughter, Victoria, A Brief History of Everyone, No Friends but the Mountains,

Reported by Ambrea

Nevermore decided to kick things off with Don’t Make Me Pull Over!:  an Informal History of the Family Road Trip by Richard Ratay.  In his book, Ratay examines the family road trip from beginning to end, starting with the birth of America’s first interstate highways in the 1950s and the proliferation of vehicles.  Our reader said Ratay’s book was an interesting foray into the niche history of America; however, “it wasn’t as funny as I thought it was going to be.”  Although she found a handful of funny stories scattered throughout the book, she said it was comprised mostly of interesting history and, occasionally, a boring anecdote.  She didn’t think I was a bad book, merely one that wasn’t as amazing as it could have been.

Next, Nevermore explored Portrait of a Murderer by Anne Meredith.  A reissue of the classic mystery, Portrait of a Murderer explores the death of Adrian Gray during the Christmas of 1931—and the murderer who committed the dark deed.  Our reader said Meredith’s psychological mystery was dated, but very interesting.  It follows the process of uncovering a murderer, specifically how one family reacts to the murder of the family patriarch and what happens after the discovery.  Overall, our reader said she enjoyed the book immensely and she highly recommended it to her fellow Nevermore members, especially those who enjoy a good mystery or psychological thriller.

Nevermore also took a look at Victoria:  An Intimate Biography by Stanley Weintraub, which highlights the life and times of Queen Victoria, starting with her birth in 1819 to her death in 1901.  Our reader said Weintraub’s biography weighed in at a whopping 700 pages.  “I feel as if I have had a graduate program on British history,” she told her fellow readers.  Although it was very interesting, very in-depth, she found the pace dragged along and made reading difficult.  She didn’t recommend it, except as a possible sleep aid.

Shifting gears to take a look a more scientific perspective of history, Nevermore reviewed A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived:  The Stories in Our Genes by Adam Rutherford.  According to the inside cover, “This is a story about you.  It is the history of who you are and how you came to be…[but] it is also our collective story, because in each of our genomes we carry the history of our whole species.”  A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived takes readers on a journey through genetics, examining how genes can tell our history and, possibly, even predict our future.  Our reader said she really liked reading Rutherford’s book.  Although it takes an extended look at very difficult, very complicated subjects, it offers insights that are understandable and provides explanations that are easy to digest.  Our reader enjoyed A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived and she highly recommended it to the rest of Nevermore.

Next, Nevermore shared No Friend But the Mountains:  Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani, translated by Omid Tofighian.  In 2013, Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani was illegally detained on Manus Island, an island in northern Papua New Guinea, and he’s been there ever since.  Typed out on a mobile phone, his memoir is a vivid and heart-wrenching look at incarceration, exile, and survival.  Our reader said Boochani’s writing is absolutely beautiful, even bordering on poetic.  No Friend But the Mountains is a fascinating look at one man’s experiences, as well as a vivid portrayal of injustice that affects a broad swathe of people.  Although our reader has only finished half of the book, she highly recommends it.

Last, Nevermore explored Amy Tan’s novel, The Bonesetter’s Daughter.  LuLing Young and her daughter, Ruth, have always shared a difficult relationship; however, as Ruth uncovers more about her other’s tumultuous life in China, she discovers more than she ever expected—secrets and terrible curses and profound hope.  Our reader said she was thrilled to simply sit and read The Bonesetter’s Daughter.  “If you’ve ever read Amy Tan,” she told the rest of Nevermore, “you fall in love with her.”  Like all of her writing, The Bonesetter’s Daughter captures a portrait of Chinese culture, human failings, and immigration experience.  Tan creates an involved, immersive story that’s “very, very good,” our reader continued.  She took a week to read Tan’s novel and she delighted in every minute.

Ex Libris: Stories of Librarians, Libraries & Lore edited by Paula Guran

Reviewed by Kristin

A delightful e-book available through Tennessee READS, Ex Libris: Stories of Librarians, Libraries & Lore is a collection of stories written expressly for book and library lovers.  As a long time library junkie (currently wearing a shirt that says “BOOK NERD”) I was enthralled by the very thought.  A book of stories about books and reader and librarians—wow, what could be better?

In the House of the Seven Librarians by Ellen Klages immediately captured me, as a traditional Carnegie library building was retired in favor of a more modern structure across town.  Although a few volumes were transported to the new library, most were stamped Discard and left on the shelves of the aging building with the vague thought that a book sale would be held.  The aging librarians also remained.  Years passed and the seven librarians maintained the library collection, until one day a surprise package arrived to change everything.  That’s only a few pages into the story, so I’ll leave that there to invite you into the tall doors of that old Carnegie library.

Even Ray Bradbury has an entry here, Exchange.  When a young military officer returns to his childhood library, Miss Adams the librarian does indeed remember him, and the books that he devoured.  The library was a protective place for William Henry Spaulding, and he is compelled to make a quick stopover on his way to his next posting.

Paper Cuts Scissors by Holly Black takes us into a world where the characters in books can come to life, and where living, breathing, human beings can also go into this world and interact with those well-known characters.  What sort of temptation would it be to remove yourself from the “real” world in favor of living with Anne of Green Gables, Hamlet, or Anna Karenina?

Many other alternate worlds are included in this collection.  Worlds in which paper books have been long lost and then found, worlds with wizards spinning magic, worlds in which people have very strong opinions about whether the Dewey Decimal System or the Library of Congress is the proper way to catalog—all of these worlds are found here.

From ancient repositories to digital collections, all libraries are celebrated and appreciated by someone, even if only a few.  These twenty-four authors have contributed a wide variety of brilliant stories.  Pick it up—something is sure to engage you.

Death and a Pot of Chowder by Cornelia Kidd

Reviewed by Jeanne

Anna Winslow is happy in her life on Quarry Island as wife to Burt and mother to teenager Jake, though money is always tight. Her world is rocked when she is contacted by a woman claiming to be her half-sister, with news that her father has died and left her something in his will.  Before the two women have more than a chance to meet each other, news arrives that Burt's brother’s boat has been found adrift.  The search reveals Carl’s body—and that he was shot.

There are more shocks to follow, and while Anna stands firm in what she believes she knows about those she loves, it’s beginning to look as if the murderer has to be someone close to the family.

Cornelia Kidd is a pseudonym for Lea Wait, a cozy author whose books I have enjoyed for years. I have to say that this book quickly became a favorite.  I read a LOT of cozies, and after a while there is a feeling of “been there, read that” to many of them.  Anna Winslow seemed like a fresh character to me, a real person.  She was content in her life. Her love of Quarry Island comes through strongly, a place where life can be harsh and unforgiving but also beautiful.  The Islanders are a tight-knit group.  When everyone knows that at some time there will be a need to call on a neighbor for help, you have to be. 

Izzie Jordan, the unknown half-sister, is a surprise as well.  Half Korean, she grew up with the father Anna never knew. She’s excited at the idea of having a sister, and sees Quarry Island with wide-eyed wonder, having grown up in Connecticut.  She pushes Anna into doing some investigating on their own when the police seem to feel that Carl’s murder came at the hands of a relative.  They aren’t so much trying to solve the murder as to find evidence to cast doubt on the police’s theory.

If you are a cozy connoisseur, you should give Death and a Pot of Chowder a try.  I thought it was scrumptious.

Nevermore: Worst Hard Time, Frog with Self-Cleaning Feet, Tell Me Everything You Don't Remember, Codename Villanelle

Reported by Lauren

            Natural disasters, international spies, and funny animals are just a few of things our Nevermore members discussed at the last meeting. 

            One reader shared her review of The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan, a study of what has been called “the greatest environmental disaster ever to be visited upon our land.” This nonfiction book describes the perils of living in the High Plains during the Great Depression while dust storms decimated crops causing residents to starve.  These stoic, hard-working farmers refused to abandon their homesteads, surviving on little to nothing.  Our reader declared it was so much worse than she had ever imagined or been taught. She strongly encouraged everyone read to it, as the threat of natural disasters brought on by climate change due to technological advances is still timely. 

Our next reviewer shared The Frog with Self-Cleaning Feet by Michael Bright. Another nonfiction work, this book highlights fun facts about various animals in the wild, including what they eat, how they camouflage and defend themselves from predators, and even how they bathe and use medicinal plants and herbs to heal themselves. Our reader remarked, “Humans are so boring! We only know how to use our two hands, while these fantastic animals are so creative.” She wished she could read and discuss it with a friend, as she caught herself laughing out loud and saying, “This is unbelievable!” She highly recommended we all check it out.

Two of our members had read Tell Me Everything You Don’t Remember: The Stroke That Changed My Life Forever by Christine Hyung-Oak Lee. Ironically neither of them could remember the full title! Author Christine had a stroke at just 33 years old. Her doctor recommended that she keep a diary or journal to help rebuild her memory. This memoir is the result. One reader loved the book, saying that it was really like being inside the mind of stroke victim. The writer jumps around in time, repeats things, and doesn’t always remember details. She found this realistic and endearing; however our other reader disagreed. She didn’t like the time jumps and memory lapses, and found the whole thing repetitive and unnecessary in some places. It was tough for her to even finish. We were all amused to see how two people could interpret the same book so differently.

On a fictional note, one reader is currently engrossed in Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings, the first in the series of novels on which the award-winning BBC America mystery series Killing Eve is based. Villanelle is a Russian orphan turned assassin; Eve is a British Intelligence Agent assigned to track down a killer (Villanelle). The cat-and-mouse game between the two women is extremely interesting so far – our reader promised to keep us posted! She also took the sequel, Killing Eve: No Tomorrow.

To wrap up our meeting, we discussed one of the latest titles in the self-help genre, Girl Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis. Hollis is a successful blogger, author, motivational speaker, and mom. In this novel, she presents strategies other like-minded women can use to reach their own goals and find success, whatever that looks like to them. Her main point is to stop apologizing for your dreams, and do whatever you need to do to reach your goals. Through funny anecdotes and various lists, she advises women to stop allowing others’ doubts to keep you from living your best life. While our reviewer didn’t find any of the information new or ground-breaking, it was a nice reminder to be yourself and stay the course, even when daily life seems overwhelming. Three out of five stars!

The Nevermore Book Club meets every Tuesday at 11:00 am in the Frances Kegley Meeting Room at Bristol Public Library.  New members welcome!