Good Reads & Views

Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales by P.D. James
Fiction

P.D. James was a master of the detective novel and also of the short story, as she demonstrates in these 6 tales that involve murder in one form or another. Some murders go back decades, some are more recent; for some the killer is the narrator, for others it’s someone who knew about the killings but kept quiet, for whatever reason. It is hard to pick a favorite, but a senior citizen blackmailing his ungrateful children into shelling out a big chunk of their possibly ill-gotten inheritance to secure him a spot in a fancy, and very expensive, retirement home is just simply marvelous. My favorite book of 2017.

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Lucky by Alice Sebold
Nonfiction

This book definitely needs a mature audience to handle reading it. It describes in a lot of detail the rape of Alice Sebold and all of the court proceedings that followed. She shares a lot of her experiences that are really personal but important because sadly, future rape victims will likely experience them as well, such as having people disbelieve her, feeling detached, changing in the eyes of others, the idea of saving herself, and more. Sebold discusses what no one really wants to, that sometimes as a society, people don't want to be near those who have suffered terrible events for some unknown reason.

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Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfar
Fiction

This weirdly warm and wacky space adventure takes the reader deep into the psyche of an intergalactic adventurer. Traveling through deep space can be incredibly lonely, but so can life on earth if, like astrophysicist Jakub Procházka, you are burdened by guilt. Feeling the weight of his Communist sympathizer father's sins, Jakub risks his life and his marriage to become the first astronaut for his country, embarking on a mission to Venus and leaving his wife Lenka behind. Lonely and heartbroken by his failed love, Jakub meets (or imagines) a garrulous, Nutella-addicted space spider while en route to deadly cloud of space dust. Existential conversation ensues. As Jakub and his arachnid companion approach the lethal dust cloud, their mutual survival may be impossible. This surprisingly jubilant and touching novel is for adventurous readers.

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The Last Dead Girl by Harry Dolan
Fiction

Real estate inspector David Malone starts an affair with local law student Jana Fletcher after discovering that his live-in fiancée cheated on him. Less than two weeks after meeting Jana, he is a suspect in her murder. The real killer, who calls himself “K”, goes on to kill another woman and reveals what else he has been doing that brought him to this point; he is now debating if and how he should go about killing David, who has decided to investigate Jana’s murder. This is a prequel to Dolan’s Bad Things Happen where David Malone becomes David Loogan. Intricately plotted and fast-paced, this is a book of well-crafted suspense.

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What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan
Fiction

A psychological suspense novel about Rachel Jenner who is out walking in the park with her eight-year-old son Ben and their dog when Ben asks to run ahead by himself and out of sight. After she discovers their dog has been injured but no Ben she becomes frantic and calls the police. The search begins for Ben and the person who may have taken him. Detective Inspector James Clemo is put in charge of the case and is frustrated by how long it is taking him to solve it. Everyone is under suspicion including Rachel’s ex-husband and new wife and her own sister. Rachel of course blames herself and soon is on trial in the press. A compelling storyline and a good book to listen with two narrators.

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Let’s Roll! by Lisa Beamer
Nonfiction

Lisa Beamer is a courageous woman with a strong faith in God. She tells her life story in a very open and authentic way. She shares her testimony of how her walk with the Lord has profoundly strengthened her and continues to guide her as she and her children carry on their lives without Todd. This book covers all the emotions and leaves your heart filled with compassion for Lisa and her family. It's a story of heartbreak, tragedy, courage and love.

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The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines
Nonfiction

A memoir written by the famous Waco, Texas couple who host the hit HGTV show “Fixer Upper." Chip and Joanna Gaines talk about their lives growing up, how they met, and started their business which they named Magnolia. The book goes back and forth with Chip narrating but Joanna chiming in to tell her own story or clarify the details of a story told by Chip or to talk about Chip. They give us an inside look at their life raising their four children and a farm full of animals. Listening to them gives you a real sense of who they are and you soon earn that Chip is just as funny and goofy in real life as he is on the show. Chip and Joanna read the audiobook version themselves.

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The Land of Dreams by Vidar Sundstøl
Fiction

A rather unusual mystery, written by a Norwegian and taking place in Northern Minnesota. Lance Hansen, a police officer with the US Forest Service and a local historian, finds the dead body of a Norwegian tourist, and from the beginning he thinks that his own brother had something to do with it. Lance is also trying to figure out who killed a Native American during the same time one of Lance’s Norwegian ancestors arrived on the scene more than a century ago. This first in a trilogy won the Riverton Prize for best Norwegian crime novel of the year and the story continues in Only the Dead and concludes in The Ravens. Library Journal’s Verdict: “Sundstol's superb first entry in his acclaimed Minnesota trilogy… interweaves a Nordic noir flavor with the history and heritage of Minnesota's Cooke County… Fans of Scandinavian crime novels and mysteries with a Minnesota setting will enjoy this chilling psychological thriller."

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All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue
Fiction

An engaging story about three friends Kate, Vanessa and Dani who reconnect at Dani’s father’s house in the New Jersey beach town of Avalon. Kate is just recently dumped by her fiancé and then finds out she is pregnant. Dani is fired from yet another job and living a life with no direction while also trying to write a book. Vanessa is married with a daughter and is still coming to terms with her husband’s infidelity. Avalon is where Kate’s twin brother tragically drowned eight years before. Each must come to terms with the part they may have played in his death, repair their friendship, and figure out the next step in their lives. A good book on audio. Narrated by Heather Henderson.

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The Sexual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls by Raychelle Cassada Lohmann and Sheela Raja
Nonfiction  

This workbook is brilliant. One of the amazing things about this book is that so much of the information and so many of the activities are relevant to adults as well, even if they're tailored to a younger audience. This will be fantastic for survivors of sexual trauma, no matter how long ago your incident was. I particularly liked how the workbook not only gave a lot of helpful information and advice about depression, PTSD, sleep, nutrition and wellbeing, but how it also gave the reader activities in the form of assessment quizzes and writing exercises to help with the process of recovery. I also really loved the words of inspiration and the personal stories for each chapter.

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