Good Reads & Views

The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
Nonfiction

Nothing stopped them—repeated failure, misinformation, primitive living conditions, injuries, competition, a disbelieving public—nothing. They made their own parts, and remade them, and remade them. When the engine they bought was too heavy, they made an engine. When the calculations on which they based their design proved inaccurate, they worked out their own from scratch. Famed historian McCullough (1776, John Adams, Mornings on Horseback) delves into the upbringing which led them to persevere, the details of their work, the people who helped them, and what happened to them after the world acknowledged their achievement. A wonderful history of the beginning of human flight.

The Frozen Dead by Bernard Minier
Fiction

It's winter and the body of a beheaded horse is found strung up at the end of a cable car line in the French Pyrenees. The billionaire owner of the horse wants the killers found so commandant Martin Servaz is pulled away from a murder case in Lyon to investigate. Suspicion falls on one specific inmate at a local high-security asylum for the criminally insane and other killings – of the human variety - soon follow. This highly suspenseful and disturbing novel is hard to put down and should appeal to readers who like dark Scandinavian mysteries and enjoy the sense of dread found in novels such as Pierre Lemaitre’s Alex.

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
Nonfiction

Jen Sincero is authentic, witty and real about what it takes to realize the greatness within you and create a life you love. She takes self-improvement to a whole new level of entertainment! If you've read a lot of self-help literature, you won't find much in this book that you haven't heard before, but Sincero has such a funny, powerful, and personal writing voice that it will make you remember that you are, deep down, a true badass!

The Bees by Laline Paull
Fiction

This surprising and imaginative dystopian fantasy will have you thinking of bees and the intricate social rituals of a hive in a whole new way. Sanitation worker Flora 717, born to the lowest social order of the hive, is excessively large, and unlike her sister sanitation workers, Flora 717 can speak. She is a variation and not a deformity, and so is permitted to live and even become part of the priestess Sister Sage's private experiment. This gives her permission to move among the different social strata, where she witnesses much of the beauty and mystery of the behavior rituals of bees. She works in the nursery, becomes a forager, and fights off enemies. When Flora breaks one on the hive's sacred laws, and lays an egg of her own, her secret pits her against the hive. Much of the information about life in the hive and social structure is accurate, but Paull does take some liberties with science. Even so, after reading this, I feel even more compelled to avoid using pesticides.

Trouble Is A Friend of Mine by Jennifer Tromly
Fiction

Zoe and her mother just moved to town, and already she’s getting in screwball comedy-style trouble, thanks to her new “friend” Digby. Yet even as she puts him down, Zoe starts to see the mystery Digby is uncovering. And the biggest mystery may be Digby himself. I imagine the character of Digby kind of like Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock as a teenager -- quirky, brilliant, and insufferable all at the same time. This book is really funny, as well as a sly romance, and a mystery all wrapped into one.

Who do You Love by Jennifer Weiner    
Fiction  
    
This is the story of Rachel and Andy who first meet as children in a hospital. Rachel is in for one of her many visits for a congenital heart defect and Andy broke his arm. They talk and then each must go their separate ways. As teenagers they happen to meet again at a camp in Atlanta and fall in love. After returning home they start up a long distance relationship, Andy from Philadelphia and Rachel in Florida, but things don’t go as planned. It’s a story of on again off again true love that keeps Rachel and Andy apart through marriage, children, failures and successes. Wonderfully narrated by actress Sarah Steele and audiobook narrator J.D. Jackson.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz
Fiction

Lisbeth and Mikael are back. Years after the publication of the blockbuster Millennium trilogy and the sudden death of author Stieg Larsson, the story continues. Journalist Mikael Blomkvist’s life is in crisis. He hasn’t had a compelling story in some time and he has been the subject of a nasty article mocking his demise. Mikael has not heard from cohort Lisbeth Salander in some time when he is contacted by someone claiming to have information vital to the security of the U.S. The National Security Agency’s system has been hacked by an apparent super hacker that sounds a lot like Salander. Blomkvist senses a story that could save him and his Millennium publication. Replying to an invitation, Mikael arrives at the home of Frans Balder, a leading authority on artificial intelligence, just in time to see the scientist murdered in the presence of his autistic son who becomes a key element in the plot. Even though Lisbeth does not actually appear until almost half way through the story she is still the breathing heart of the book, especially her interactions with the autistic boy. For those who haven’t read the first novels, included is a list of continuing characters which fills in the blanks sufficiently to follow the action. Fast paced, properly thrilling and an easier read than the original trilogy.

The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife, and the Missing Corpse by Piu Marie Eatwell
Nonfiction

In 1898, an elderly widow made an astonishing claim—that her late father-in-law had been the reclusive Duke of Portland in disguise, and had faked his death when he grew tired of the double life he led. The accusation opened a massive can of worms in Edwardian England. Sensational revelations followed, a bitterly fought court case ensued, and all kinds of secrets came tumbling out of the closet. If you like Downton Abbey, read this!

The Job: True Tales from the Life of a New York City Cop by Steve Osborne
Nonfiction

In this compelling memoir, Osborne tells the funny, sad, unbelievable true stories of his days as a New York City police officer. He’s tough, no-nonsense, and unflinchingly honest—and he’s a terrific storyteller whose stories are unforgettable. If you’re interested in seeing the world through a cop’s eyes, or if you simply love memoirs that give you the inside scoop on someone else’s job, this book is for you.

The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore
Fiction

The Supremes - aka Odette, Clarice, and Barbara Jean – have known each other for decades, just about as long as they have met at Earl’s Diner in Plainview, Indiana. The book covers their lives and tribulations and the endurance of their friendship, above all. It also includes appearances by a boozing Eleanor Roosevelt, believe it or not. I laughed, I cried, and I sure hope someone turns this book into a movie, and soon. If you enjoyed The Help and Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, or other books that deal with female friendship, give this one a try.