Good Reads & Views

Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick 
Nonfiction 

What it’s about: While many of us know a thing or two about Elvis, this immersive biography is a meticulously researched and compelling look at his young life that reveals the vulnerability—and eventual triumph—of his early years. In 560 pages that fly by, Guralnick gives us the young Elvis Presley in vivid technicolor.  

Why you might like it: For rock & roll enthusiasts, this book is a treat: it’s the first of two volumes considered the definitive biography of Elvis. Readers who love biographies will appreciate the in-depth research combined with sparkling writing about larger-than-life personalities against a lovingly depicted backdrop of 1950s America. 

Reviewers say: “A serious, musically literate, and historically attuned biography. An American epic that belongs on every bookshelf” (Kirkus Reviews).

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Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson
Fiction

What it’s about: An author living a comfortable, happy life receives a call from a reporter who discovered that she was the source of mass hysteria in her small town 20 years ago, when she and a friend posted hundreds of copies of their mysterious art poster around town.

Why you might like it: This engaging first-person story relives teen angst and the joy of artistic creation—and what happens when artwork takes on a life of its own and wreaks havoc.

Reviewers say: “Wilson has developed a story that is a precise capture of adolescence and of two vibrant teens whose everyday dilemmas, weaknesses, and triumphs are utterly endearing” (Booklist).

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Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
Fiction

What it’s about: In this sparkling fairy-tale-come-true, Vivian joins her daughter, a stylist for the British royal family, at the royal estate for the holidays—where she meets the man of her dreams.

Why you might like it: If you enjoy stories of finding love in mid-life, this witty tale of unexpected joy will delight you. Also, if you look for light and happy books set during the holiday season—or if you’re a royal watcher—this is a great choice.

Series alert: While this book is the fourth in the Wedding Dates series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. But if you’d like to read them all (and who wouldn’t?) you can start with the first book, The Wedding Date.

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Back to the Garden by Laurie R. King
Fiction 

What it’s about: While obsessively investigating a 1970s serial killer case, a current-day cold case police detective learns of a body found at a former commune—and goes down the rabbit hole of investigating the possible connections. The story of the 2020s murder investigation interweaves with the 1970s story of the grand estate that became a haven for flower children. 

Why you might like it: Atmospheric and suspenseful, this novel is brimming with complex characters, red herrings, and some significant moral conundrums.  

Reviewers say: “King skillfully misdirects the reader as the action builds to a surprising resolution” (Publishers Weekly).  

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Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Nonfiction  

What it’s about: It’s time to face the fact that we’ll never complete our to-do lists, and we’re making ourselves miserable thinking otherwise. (Is anyone else as freaked out by this idea as I am?) That’s the premise of this wide-ranging self-improvement book, which suggests that we acknowledge the limited amount of time we have on Earth—so we can then focus on what matters most to us.  

Why you should read it: Whether you love or dislike time management books, Four Thousand Weeks proposes a thought-provoking way of looking at how we spend our time. For those of us who like nothing better than a good life hack, this book challenges us to focus on the big picture before optimizing the small details.  

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Between Heaven and Texas by Marie Bostwick
Fiction

What it’s about: This is a big, folksy story about a Texas ranch family, the joys of quilting, and strong generations of women. Mary Dell and her sister Lydia Dale join forces to become a quilting duo, as they weather and overcome heartache in their personal lives. Their large and often quirky family adds warmth and coziness to a story about marriage, motherhood, and reinventing oneself.  

Why you might like it: If you like heartwarming but realistic family stories, this first-book-in-a-series will pull you into the rhythm of ranch life. It’s also an inspiring story of a woman who finds her own strength and develops her creativity.  

You might also like: Jennifer Chiaverini’s The Quilter’s Apprentice is another warm story of a woman for whom quilting is a refuge. If you like stories of sisters and ranch life, check out The Wilder Sisters by Jo-Ann Mapson. 

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Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones 
Fiction 

What it’s about: Set in the midst of the Atlanta child murders, this poignant story is told through three children’s perspectives. While the tone is somber and atmospheric, the fifth graders’ day-to-day lives are at the center of the story—though the terror of children disappearing lurks in the background.  

Why you might like it: If you enjoy stories that build gradually and invite you as the reader to see the connections among various perspectives, this book will be a very satisfying read. The storylines weave together to create a textured narrative.  

Reviewers say: “This strongly grounded tale hums with the rhythms of schoolyard life and proves Jones to be a powerful storyteller” (Publishers Weekly). 

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Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a Reconciliation by Maud Newton
Nonfiction   

What it’s about: In this candid, vulnerable, and engaging mash-up of memoir, genealogical research, science, and sociology, the author investigates her troubling family history. From shocking stories about her parents to disturbing discoveries about her Southern ancestors, Newton faces the unsettling truths about her family. Interspersed with her genealogical quest, she explores genetic research to learn more about nature vs. nurture, and she does some serious soul searching to determine how to respond to her findings.

You might also like: Readers of The Glass Castle will find Newton’s family story similarly compelling. To read another memoir about life-changing genealogical discoveries, pick up Dani Shapiro’s Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love.

Reviewers say: “An engaging and thoroughly researched memoir relaying a family history that is at turns recognizable and abhorrent, as an honest and typical history of American exceptionalism, racism, and misogyny. Will appeal to lovers of memoirs, family secrets, genealogy, and the sociological makeup threading U.S. history” (Library Journal).

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Wahala by Nikki May
Fiction

What it’s about: In this intensifying story about female friendship and betrayal, the bonds within a tight-knit group of friends are strained when a fourth woman joins their circle. “Wahala” is the Nigerian word for “trouble,” and that’s exactly what their new frenemy brings to each woman’s life as she exploits their secret vulnerabilities.

Why you might like it: This book is a character-driven page turner that will pull you into the lives of three Anglo Nigerian women living fabulous lives in current-day London.

You might also like: For another riveting story about a group of women whose lives are upended by a “friend,” read The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood.

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Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom by Carl Bernstein
Nonfiction

What it’s about: Before he became famous for his Watergate reporting at the Washington Post, Carl Bernstein started his newspaper career as a teenage copy boy at the Washington Star. This engaging, spirited memoir tells the story of a young man finding his calling in the rollicking newsrooms of the early 1960s. Bernstein provides a wide-eyed, first-hand, behind-the-scenes view of reporting major 20^th century news stories, including the Civil Rights Movement, Sputnik, and the Kennedy assassination.

Why you might like it: Bernstein is a great storyteller, and the people of the newsroom are quirky, larger than life, and unforgettable—so this memoir reads like fiction (even though it’s true).

You might also like: While the timeframe and setting are completely different, Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi is another exuberant memoir of mastering skills through on-the-job training.

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