Confession: I hosted Thanksgivng this year. But I did not serve turkey. Turkey is not bad. It is a perfectly fine piece of protein, I guess, and de rigueur during Thanksgiving, and you can make a very nice soup with the leftovers. It’s just that I wanted something a little different this year, and the…
Generally speaking, I like three things in my crime fiction: a twisty puzzle, an engaging protagonist, and a distinctive style. It's the trifecta of crime writing, and I was delighted to discover that Rachel Howzell Hall’s latest thriller, THESE TOXIC THINGS succeeds on all counts. Known for her lauded Detective Lou Norton mysteries, Hall's book…
The world is…rather a lot right now, isn’t it? Loud and tense and busy and hot and if you’re anything like me, you need a break. Not a big one. Just a little one. A chance to catch your breath, to escape somewhere quiet, even if only for a bit. A Psalm for the Wild-Built,…
Reality shows are not, as they say, my cup of tea. Competition shows particularly are particularly stressful. I always feel so badly for the eliminated contestants, and if I wanted to feel terrible while watching TV, I would turn on the news. Inevitably, this is the point where someone recommends I watch The Great British…
You can be forgiven for thinking Firekeeper's Daughter, the debut novel from Ojibwe author Angeline Boulley, is a fantasy novel. The cover is lush and symbol-laden, and the elemental title fits in perfectly with today's young adult titles. But in fact, Firekeeper's Daughter is a thriller rooted in the real world, a coming-of-age story, and…
May books are special creatures. In May, I like a quirky book. A cheerful book. A book that can transport me almost instantly, because May, in my experience, is jammed full of events, activities, and to-dos that frankly, interrupt my reading to a ridiculous degree. But take heart! Mia P. Manansala’s debut mystery, ARSENIC AND…
Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur, a cranky, tenacious British detective with a chip on her shoulder and a soft spot for her elderly, overbearing parents, debuted stateside in Elly Griffith's 2019 novel, THE STRANGER DIARIES. The book was a staff and patron favorite, so I was delighted when Harbinder returned this year in THE POSTSCRIPT MURDERS,…
The Liar’s Dictionary capitalizes on two trends — books about books and dual timeline stories, where one plot occurs in the past, one in the present, with key events or people connecting them. Author Eley Williams makes something entirely fresh from those familiar elements, creating a story that is clever and heartfelt, playful and challenging,…
While it is a well-known fact that I adore winter (and loathe temps above 70 degrees), I also recognize that most people do not share my feelings, especially not after the holidays have wound down and we’re looking at several more months of frigid weather. This year in particular, in the middle of a pandemic…
One of my most anticipated 2020 reads was Vesper Flights, Helen Macdonald’s first book since her 2014 memoir, H is For Hawk. Hawk details the author’s attempts to train a goshawk as a way of coping with her father’s death. It is unpredictable, gorgeously written, and deeply moving. And because I loved H is For…
