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Check out our reviews and recommendations:
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Aimee recommends: A Spark of Light: A Novel by Jodi Picoult What it’s about: Picoult tells the story of the lives of men and women inside a woman’s reproductive health services clinic, as a disgruntled man rushes inside, opens fire, and takes all who remain alive inside hostage. Why you might like it: The stories of these lives and how they become intertwined is told in reverse chronological order. The novel starts at 5 pm, nearing the end of the hostage situation. You’re introduced to characters who have died, and as you read you learn who they are and how they met their demise. It can be a little confusing, and hard to get used to, but, in the end, it made for very effective story telling. Picoult did extensive research while writing this book, talking with pro-life activists, pro-choice advocates, women who have sought abortions, as well as the doctors and nurses who helped with those kinds of procedures. It is a hot-button issue, more now than ever, and Picoult dives into this subject matter with dignity, grace, and respect for BOTH sides. From the author: “Honestly, I do not believe we, as a society, will ever agree on this issue. The stakes are too high, and both sides operate from places of unshakable belief. But I do think that the first step is to talk to each other, and—more important, to listen. We may not see eye to eye, but we can respect each other’s opinions and find the truth in them. Perhaps in those honest conversations, instead of demonizing each other, we might see each other as imperfect humans, doing our best” (p. 364).
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Kristin recommends: Eligible: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld What it’s about: Pride and Prejudice has been transported to modern-day Cincinnati! Liz Bennet is a magazine editor and Fitzwilliam Darcy is a neurosurgeon in this hilarious retelling of Jane Austen’s classic. Level-headed Liz and sweet-tempered Jane come home from New York City after Mr. Bennet has a heart attack and find the family’s finances are in terrible shape. Mrs. Bennet’s solution? Getting her oldest daughter married to an ER doctor who had appeared on a reality TV dating show. Is it for you? If you like character-driven stories with bantering dialog and witty narration, this book will keep you smiling, if not laughing out loud, all the way through. Reviewers say: Sittenfeld’s “charming retelling is a delightful romp for not only Austen devotees but lovers of romantic comedies and sly satire, as well” (Booklist); “Sittenfeld's inclusion of a Bachelor-like reality show is a brilliant parallel to the scrutiny placed on characters in the neighborhood balls of Jane Austen's novels” (Library Reads).
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Christine recommends: Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews What it’s about: Nevada Baylor, a private investigator and truthseeker mage, has to track down a powerful fire mage. Connor “Mad Dog” Rogan, a powerful telekinetic mage, wants to find the same guy. After bumping into each other and sparring a few times, they join forces and uncover more than they bargained for, including a conspiracy and romance. Why you should read it: Ilona Andrews is a husband and wife writing team who have some really cool fantasy series. This series features a sizzling romance and an alternate history Houston in which powerful mages called Primes clash outside the law. I just finished book four and can’t wait for the next installment!
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Laura recommends: The River: A Novel by Peter Heller What it’s about: A late summer wilderness canoe trip challenges the friendship and survival skills of two college friends as they attempt to avoid white-water hazards and outrace a wildfire. And then they encounter a man alone, who says he lost his wife in the fog. When the friends find her, she is so severely injured she can’t explain what happened. Was it the husband, or something else? Part heart-pounding adventure story, part lyrical and elegant nature writing, this is taut storytelling that will grip you to the very end. Reviewers say: “The real delight is the nature writing. The River is a fiction addition to the New Landscape writing of Robert Macfarlane and Rebecca Solnit, prose so vivid and engaging that a city-dwelling reviewer can feel the clammy cold of a fog over a river or the heat of subterranean tree roots burning underfoot in the aftermath of a fire.” Denise Mina, New York Times, 4-9-19 Want a taste? “Late August, a clear night becoming cold. There was no aurora borealis, just the dense sparks of the stars blown from their own ancient fire.” Or this, “And the eagles. They seemed to mark the canoe's progress from the gray spires of dead spruce, spaced downriver like watchmen on some lost frontier...”
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Stacey recommends: Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson What it’s about: Lyrical vignettes reveal the inner life of each family member in this #ownvoices novel about three generations of an African American family. Through subtle, impressionistic character portraits, the reader gets to participate in the knitting together of this story about family traditions, love of parents for their children, and dreams for the next generation. Why you might like it: If you enjoy reading books written from multiple perspectives and reading between the lines, this book’s structure and nuances will prove satisfying. Also, if you appreciate books that are short but powerful, this book is for you. Reviewers say: “Woodson channels deeply true-feeling characters, all of whom readers will empathize with in turn” (Booklist).
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Michelle recommends: Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers: Monstrosity, Patriarchy, and the Fear of Female Power by Sady Doyle Why It’s Significant: Sady Doyle (author of Trainwreck) offers a sweeping analysis of monstrous women across history and in contemporary society, touching on everything from the biblical figure Lilith and Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca to the Laci Peterson case and the My Favorite Murder podcast. Doyle smartly links all these examples to the patriarchy, proving how depictions of beastly females often help enforce traditional gender roles and demean strong women. The subject matter is often gruesome and infuriating, but Doyle’s hilarious criticisms of popular media provide hope. Worth it for her feminist analysis of Jurassic Park and her acerbic takedown of Species alone. Reviewers Say: “Some people take a scalpel to the heart of media culture; Sady Doyle brings a bone saw, a melon baller, and a machete.”—Andi Zeisler, author of We Were Feminists Once You Might Also Like: Other important texts about the monstrous feminine, like the work of Barbara Creed or Julia Kristeva, or recent horror films directed by women, like The Babadook or Raw.
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Roseanne recommends: Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani ShapiroAbout the Author: Dani Shapiro is the best-selling author of four memoirs and five novels. Her short fiction, essays, and journalistic pieces have appeared in The New Yorker, Elle, The New York Times Book Review and many other publications. Dani has taught in the writing programs at Columbia, NYU, The New School and Wesleyan University. She lives in Connecticut with her family. What it’s about: In 2016 the author received the results of a genealogy DNA test and learned that her father was not her biological father. This is the story of family secrets and a woman's urgent quest to unlock the story of her own identity. What the reviewers say: "Profound... The true drama of Inheritance is not Shapiro’s discovery of her father’s identity but the meaning she makes of it...Shapiro’s account is beautifully written and deeply moving — it brought me to tears more than once."—Ruth Franklin, The New York Times Book Review
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Astrid recommends: How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss by Michael Greger 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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