Good Reads & Views

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
Fiction

What it's about: Bookseller and blogger Malcolm is contacted by the FBI, seeking his help. Years ago he created a list of literature's most perfect murders, and now someone seems to be using Malcolm's list as a playbook for unsolved killings. Twists and turns galore, and if you actually figure out the killer early on (I did not), then kudos to you.

Reviewers say: "Swanson will keep most readers guessing until the end. Classic whodunit fans will be in heaven" (Publishers Weekly); "The perfect gift for well-read mystery mavens who complain that they don't write them like they used to" (Kirkus).

Author Notes: Swanson is the author of six novels including The Kind Worth Killing for which he won the New England Society Book Award and Her Every Fear, which was an NPR book of the year.

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Miss Iceland by Auður A. Ólafsdóttir 
Fiction 

What it’s about: Moving to 1960s Reykjavik to pursue her literary ambitions, an aspiring novelist moves in with her gay childhood friend only to be confronted by a male-dominated literary community that does not believe women belong in the art world.

Reviewers say: “In this excellent introduction to her work, Ólafsdóttir creates a world where either escape or hiding one's true nature are the only choices” (Library Journal); “This winning tale of friendship and self-fulfillment will inspire readers” (Publishers Weekly). 

Want a taste? “I, the undersigned, Hekla Gottskálksdóttir, hereby resign from my job as a serving girl at Hotel Borg. The reason for my resignation is the indecent behaviour of the hotel’s male customers who have been harassing me both at work and in my private life.” 

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Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann
Fiction

What it’s about: Tyll Ulenspiegel, a vagabond and jester from the 17th century, embarks on a journey of discovery as he travels through history in this novel of magical realism.

Want a taste? " He has never been elsewhere. And although several people who have been elsewhere before have told him that it’s exactly the same there as here, he can’t stop wondering where you would end up if you just kept going on and on, not merely to the next village, but farther and farther still."

Reviewers say: “Located somewhere between German romanticism and modernism, superstition and science, history and high fantasy, this is a rapturous and adventuresome novel of ideas that, like Tyll's roaming sideshow, must be experienced to be believed” (Publishers Weekly).

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How to Eat: All Your Food and Diet Questions Answered by Mark Bittman and David L. Katz
Nonfiction

What it is: This “artful (or at least competent!) blend of science and sense” is a straightforward resource about the current state of nutrition, debunking myths and addressing diet trends.

Why it stands out: It is formatted as a conversational Q & A with readers. Instead of stating that a food is good or bad, the authors recommend that one should ask what that food is replacing. Is the bagel replacing oatmeal for breakfast or a donut? Is the fruit juice replacing water or a sugary soft drink?

Reviewers say: “A sensible guide to health from two genial experts” (Kirkus Reviews); “a versatile, approachable guide” (Library Journal).

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The Ghost Clause by Howard Norman
Fiction

What it’s about: The story is narrated by Simon, a ghost who is haunting his former Vermont home, now occupied by a young couple. Muriel translates Japanese poetry, her husband Zach is a rookie detective at a local detective agency. Simon witnesses the impact of a child's disappearance on the couple's relationship and is also privy to their desire to have a child, mirroring the difficulties Simon and his wife Lorca experienced in their own marriage.

Reviewers say: “Thoughtful, elegiac, a good book to read by the fireside with a snifter of bourbon” (Library Journal). “This is an astute, beautifully written novel” (Publishers Weekly).

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Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
Nonfiction

What it is: The history of an ordinary substance, the only rock humans consume. Throughout civilization, salt has been used as currency, influenced the establishment of trade routes, financed wars and secured empires. And flavored our food, of course.

Want a taste? “The Romans salted their greens, believing this to counteract the natural bitterness, which is the origin of the word salad, salted.” “It takes two years for the salt to reach the center of a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.”

Reviewers say: “Throughout his engaging, well-researched history, Kurlansky sprinkles witty asides and amusing anecdotes. A piquant blend of the historic, political, commercial, scientific and culinary, the book is sure to entertain as well as educate” (Publishers Weekly).

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The Ultimate Retirement Guide for 50+ by Suze Orman
Nonfiction

What it is: Nine chapters of solid financial information about your retirement for those still years removed from retirement, those approaching retirement, and those already in retirement.

What sets it apart: There are many books that cover the same territory, but Orman has a very straightforward (at times even brutally honest) style. She considers pros and cons and couples it all with a lot of common sense and plenty of humor to boot. Chapters 2-9 feature a checklist at the end of each chapter that summarizes its main points.

Want a taste? “Remember: You are the best financial advisor you will ever have. When you aren’t sure about something, slow down and learn more. It is better to do nothing than to do something you don’t understand.”

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Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
Fiction

What it’s about: First one of her neighbors turns up dead, then other bodies follow. Janina, or Duszejko, as she prefers to be called, is of an advanced age and lives in a remote Polish village. She does not eat meat, prefers the company of animals over humans, and quotes William Blake. She is absolutely sure she knows who is behind the deaths and inserts herself into the investigation.

Want a taste? “The best conversations are with yourself. At least there's no risk of a misunderstanding.” “Being healthy is an insecure state and does not bode well. It's better to be ill in a quiet way, then at least we know what we're going to die of.”

Reviewers say: “Tokarczuk's novel succeeds as both a suspenseful murder mystery and a powerful and profound meditation on human existence and how a life fits into the world around it. Novels this thrilling don't come along very often” (Publishers Weekly). “In her depictions of her characters and their worlds both internal and external Tokarczuk has created something entirely new” (Kirkus Reviews).

Author info: in 2018 Tokarczuk won the Man Booker Prize International for her novel Flights and in 2019 she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

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Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
Fiction

What it’s about: Retired math teacher Olive is back, and like its predecessor, Pulitzer Prize winning Olive Kitteridge, the novel is told in interlinking stories. Olive is now older and dealing with various changes in her life. Has age mellowed her? You be the judge of that.

Want a taste? “But we’re both old enough to know things now, and that’s good.” “What things?” “When to shut up, mainly.”

Reviewers say: “Beautifully written and alive with compassion, at times almost unbearably poignant. A thrilling book in every way” (Kirkus Reviews); “Exquisite” (Library Journal).

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How Not to Diet by Michael Greger
Nonfiction

What it’s about: Referencing cutting-edge science about weight-loss (nearly 5,000 references to medical literature), this book analyzes the problem of obesity, its causes and consequences, and then offers solutions, recommending a lifestyle change to a whole-food, plant-based diet.

Who it’s for: Anyone who thinks they know everything there is to know about dieting, anyone looking to lose weight and/or maintain a healthy weight, anyone who likes new and interesting information that on occasion is even laugh out loud funny, and anyone who enjoyed Greger's previous NYT bestseller How Not to Die.

About the author:  Dr. Greger is a graduate of Cornell University School of Agriculture and Tufts University School of Medicine. He is a physician, author, internationally recognized speaker on nutrition, food safety, and public health issues, a founding member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the founder of the website NutritionFacts.org, and formerly served as the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at The Humane Society of the United States.

Of note: Dr. Greger donates all proceeds he receives from his books, DVDs, and speaking engagements to charity.

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