Good Reads & Views

The Searcher by Tana French
Fiction 

What it’s about: Retired Chicago cop Cal Hooper is looking to start a new life in a small Irish village, spending his days fishing and fixing up an old house. Then he is talked into helping find the missing brother of a local kid and by doing so finds dark secrets among an insular community.

Want a taste? “The wind combs the heather and gorse with a low ceaseless rustle. Its smell has a sweetness almost too cold to catch. The sky is a fine-grained gray, and from somewhere in its heights a bird sends down a pure wild whistling.”

Reviewers say: Delivers “plenty of twists, shocking revelations, and truly chilling moments. Slow moving and richly layered” (Kirkus Reviews); a “slow-burn stunner that will keep readers turning the pages late into the night” (Library Journal).

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The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Fiction

What it’s about: Unappreciated suburban housewives tend to their True Crime book club while battling a dark force in the shape of a charming neighbor. FYI: Don’t mess with the housewives!

Is it for you? If you are on the squeamish side and break out in a cold sweat when rats (pgs. 128-132) and cockroaches (pgs. 295-298) are involved, you may want to pass on this one. If, however, you like horror with humor and don’t mind some gross stuff, you should enjoy this.

Reviewers say: “Hendrix draws shrewd parallels between the serial killers documented in the book club's picks and Harris's apparent vampire persona, loading his gruesome story with perfectly-pitched allusions to classic horror novels and true crime accounts. This powerful, eclectic novel both pays homage to the literary vampire canon and stands singularly within it” (Publishers Weekly); “Fans of smart horror will sink their teeth into this one” (Kirkus Reviews).

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Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith 
Fiction 

What it’s about: Private Investigators Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott are looking into the cold case of Dr. Margot Bamborough whose disappearance has some similarities to serial killings committed by Dennis Creed, who is serving a life sentence.

Series info: This is the fifth installment in the series which starts with The Cuckoo’s Calling, and continues with The Silkworm, Career of Evil, and Lethal White.

Reviewers say: “After wading through a barrel of red herrings, … Galbraith delivers the real killer, the least obvious of the lot, and it's a masterful, perfectly thought-through revelation … skillfully told, with a constantly gleeful interest in human awfulness” (Kirkus Reviews).

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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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