FICTION:
A Piece of the World, Christina Kline Baker – fiction inspired by
Andrew Wyeth’s famous painting “Christina’s World.” I looked at the
painting quite differently after reading this.
To the Bright Edge of the World, Eowyn Ivey – vivid and otherworldly historical fiction set in 1800s Alaska and Fort Vancouver, Washington. Gorgeous cover, too.
The Women in the Castle, Jessica Shattuck – three women in a
deteriorating Bavarian castle in the aftermath of World War II Germany,
and the stories of how they got there.
The Wildling Sisters, Eve Chase – who doesn’t love an English country house Gothic novel?
The Heirs, Susan Rieger – who doesn’t love a story about family, an inheritance, and secrets? If you enjoyed The Nest, you may enjoy this one.
NON-FICTION:
Lost City of the Monkey God, Douglas Preston – a true story of legends, ruins, a curse, terrifying animals, treasure, and secrets all set in the rain forest of Honduras.
Among the Living and the Dead: A Tale of Exile and Homecoming on the War Roads of Europe, Inara Verzenmieks – I was asked what I was reading, and I told him, "one of the saddest stories ever told." Don't let that dissuade you, however, from reading this elegy to the author's Latvian family and home. Beautifully, lyrically written.
Caught in the Revolution, Helen
Rappaport – this is the 100th anniversary of the Russian revolution, and
it would be hard to find a more interesting or accessible history than
this story of foreigners – some famous, some not – and their experiences
in St. Petersburg in 1917.
Nomadland, by Jessica Bruder. A portrait of those, mainly "retirees," who give up their houses and live in cars, trailers, and RVs, crossing the country trying to make ends meet by working seasonal jobs. The author refers to it as "surviving America" and it is an eye-opener.
And finally, two mystery series with strong female characters and wonderfully evocative settings:
Tannie Maria series: (Recipes for Love and Murder, The Satanic
Mechanic) by Sally Andrew – for a refreshing break after all that
intense nonfiction, I greatly enjoyed this new mystery series by South
African Sally Andrew. Set in the desert Karoo region, its heroine,
Tannie Maria, is a middle-aged columnist to the love-lorn for the local
paper whose advice usually includes some amazing recipes (and the author
includes them at the back of each book). Quirky with a strong sense of
people and place, these were very enjoyable.
Lane Winslow series: (A Killer in King's Cove, Death in a Darkening Mist, and An Old, Cold Grave) by Iona Whishaw. Another strong female character is Lane Winslow, former British spy trying to live a quiet life in a small village in British Columbia after the Second World War. Good mysteries and a charming village you or I might want to live in (if only there weren't those pesky murders there!).
The Wildling Sisters, Eve Chase – who doesn’t love an English country house Gothic novel?
The Heirs, Susan Rieger – who doesn’t love a story about family, an inheritance, and secrets? If you enjoyed The Nest, you may enjoy this one.
NON-FICTION:
Lost City of the Monkey God, Douglas Preston – a true story of legends, ruins, a curse, terrifying animals, treasure, and secrets all set in the rain forest of Honduras.
Among the Living and the Dead: A Tale of Exile and Homecoming on the War Roads of Europe, Inara Verzenmieks – I was asked what I was reading, and I told him, "one of the saddest stories ever told." Don't let that dissuade you, however, from reading this elegy to the author's Latvian family and home. Beautifully, lyrically written.
Caught in the Revolution, Helen
Rappaport – this is the 100th anniversary of the Russian revolution, and
it would be hard to find a more interesting or accessible history than
this story of foreigners – some famous, some not – and their experiences
in St. Petersburg in 1917.
Nomadland, by Jessica Bruder. A portrait of those, mainly "retirees," who give up their houses and live in cars, trailers, and RVs, crossing the country trying to make ends meet by working seasonal jobs. The author refers to it as "surviving America" and it is an eye-opener.
And finally, two mystery series with strong female characters and wonderfully evocative settings:
Lane Winslow series: (A Killer in King's Cove, Death in a Darkening Mist, and An Old, Cold Grave) by Iona Whishaw. Another strong female character is Lane Winslow, former British spy trying to live a quiet life in a small village in British Columbia after the Second World War. Good mysteries and a charming village you or I might want to live in (if only there weren't those pesky murders there!).
