Category: Book Review

What Have You Been Reading? Detective, Detective, Spy Edition

When left to my own devices, I tend to binge-read about subjects or to binge-read authors and/or series. That works well for me, but it’s something I try to avoid inflicting on the readers of this blog because I seriously doubt anyone else is as interested in some of these literary rabbit trails as I am. (You’re welcome.)

Lately, however, I’ve been exploring some mystery and espionage thriller series I’ve been meaning to read for a while, and I did want to share those.

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Book Buzz: Modern-Day David Copperfields, WWII Romances, Vacations, Rivers, and Journeys

Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For November, we’re looking at Barbara Kingsolver’s latest acclaimed novel, a Rebecca-esque romance set during WWII, a throwback to summer, the real-life story of a modern mythical figure, and an audiobook set in medieval Ireland.

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Alan Rickman’s Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman (2022)

I imagine most people have an Alan Rickman role that is their default for him. For some, it might be one of his rogue’s gallery of villains (like Hans Gruber in Die Hard) or perhaps one of his rarer romantic roles (Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility or Jamie in Truly, Madly, Deeply) or his cryptic Snape in the Harry Potter movies.

For me, it’s probably a mish mash of Gruber, his hilariously put-upon Alexander Dane in Galaxy Quest, and his condescending Obadiah Slope in The Barchester Chronicles (an early role).

Rickman died nearly seven years ago, the terminal cancer that took him a closely guarded secret from the public until his passing. Rickman had been a diligent diarist for years, and there has been mixed information on whether Rickman intended to publish these diaries. Regardless of his intentions, this collection of his diary entries were released last month.

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Cookbook Corner: Where’s the Meat?

In honor of our Books, Spice, and Everything Nice theme (and spice club!), we’ll be doing a monthly round-up of our cookbooks. We have a really nice and extensive collection, but it’s easy to get lost in the sheer number of them. Hopefully these posts help! In honor of November’s spice annatto, we’ll be focusing on cookbooks that cover everything you want to know about cooking and processing meat–and just in time for hunting season.

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Book Buzz: Mad Scientists, Dystopian YA, Librarian Spies, the Haitian Revolution, Opposites Attract Romances, Pirates, and Horror on the Range

Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For October, we’re looking at gothic horror inspired by The Island of Dr. Moreau, science fiction by a local author, historical fiction about WWII and the Haitian Revolution, a cute romance between two very different people, a swashbuckling nonfiction tale about Golden Age piracy, and an audiobook of Dean Koontz’s latest.

Continue reading “Book Buzz: Mad Scientists, Dystopian YA, Librarian Spies, the Haitian Revolution, Opposites Attract Romances, Pirates, and Horror on the Range”

Cookbook Corner: Taste of Asia

In honor of our Books, Spice, and Everything Nice theme (and spice club!), we’ll be doing a monthly round-up of our cookbooks. We have a really nice and extensive collection, but it’s easy to get lost in the sheer number of them. Hopefully these posts help! In honor of October’s spice cumin, we’ll be focusing on cookbooks that cover the sheer range and variety of Asian cuisines.

Continue reading “Cookbook Corner: Taste of Asia”

Book Buzz: Problematic Siblings, Foodie Friends, Intergenerational Trauma, Talented Monsters, Courtroom Drama, and Derailed Safaris

Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For September, we’re looking at historical fiction about one of America’s most infamous families, a sweet tale of food-based friendship, a magical realism family saga, an atmospheric Victorian gothic fantasy, a well-researched chronicle of legal battles over agricultural pollution, and a suspense novel on audiobook.

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John Carreyrou’s Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup (2018)

The rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes has been in the news a lot lately. I must confess I was busy with grad school when the one-time whiz kid of Silicon Valley first rocketed to fame in the 2010s. So, I missed all the initial glowing coverage and attention lavished on the Stanford dropout who created Theranos, a multi-billion-dollar biotech startup that promised to change the way health care worked in America, and was lauded as the next Steve Jobs. Consequently, when Holmes and Theranos were finally outed as frauds in a shocking investigation by a Wall Street Journal reporter, I didn’t pay much attention to the coverage then either.

But after hearing a lot of buzz about Bad Blood, the book about Theranos that was written by the investigative reporter who brought the whole scheme tumbling down, I was intrigued enough to request we purchase it for the library. And I’m so glad I did–this is a wild read and an incredibly engrossing one at that. I had trouble putting the book down. (Thanks so much to Julie for adding it to the collection!)

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Cookbook Corner: Quick and Easy

In honor of our Books, Spice, and Everything Nice theme (and spice club!), we’ll be doing a monthly round-up of our cookbooks. We have a really nice and extensive collection, but it’s easy to get lost in the sheer number of them. Hopefully these posts help! For September, we’ll be focusing on cookbooks that help you get dinner on the table when you’re pressed for time and ideas.

Continue reading “Cookbook Corner: Quick and Easy”

Book Buzz: Scottish Fantasy Islands, Commuting, the Weather, Old West Crime, Seafaring Tales, and Housewife Suspense

Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For August, we’re looking at an atmospheric fantasy romance set in Scotland, a celebration of friendship among commuters, a cute romance set at a news station, an engrossing anthology of Westerns with a side of mystery, two fascinating tales of real-life adventure on the high seas, and an audiobook suspense novel about catty rich housewives.

Continue reading “Book Buzz: Scottish Fantasy Islands, Commuting, the Weather, Old West Crime, Seafaring Tales, and Housewife Suspense”