Just Mercy
by Bryan Stevenson

But What If We're Wrong?: Thinking about the Present as If It Were the Past
by Chuck Klosterman

This is one of the most enjoyable unlikely reads I've encountered. The premise is basically: suppose we can't accurately predict the future based on what we know today? And my initial reaction was.....so what. Nonetheless, since I was provided with a copy of the book and I've never read Klosterman before, I gave it a try. I was just going to read the first chapter to see what it was like. I accidentally (sort of) read the whole book. I was just too intrigued by what Klosterman was saying to quit. Some of the questions that Klosterman ponders in this book include: How certain are we about our understanding of gravity? How certain are we about our understanding of time? What will be the defining memory of rock music, five hundred years from today? How seriously should we view the content of our dreams? How seriously should we view the content of television? Are all sports destined for extinction? Is it possible that the greatest artist of our era is currently unknown (or—weirder still—widely known, but entirely disrespected)? Is it possible that we “overrate” democracy? And perhaps most disturbing, is it possible that we’ve reached the end of knowledge? What's so engaging about this book is Klosterman's treatment of it; his writing is so funny and the reader gets a sort of thrilling, "I wonder what he'll talk about next" sensation.

Wintering
by Peter Geye

We recently held our BIG annual event, Author Fest. Among the authors attending was Peter Geye with his magnificent new book, Wintering. This is a follow-up to Lighthouse Road, but Wintering stands on its own. In fact, if you’ve never read any of Geye’s books, Geye encourages you to start with Wintering. In it, we are witness to the retelling of a father and son’s journey that occurred over 30 years ago. The father, Harry, is now presumed dead and his son Gus is relating the journey to Berit Lovig, Harry’s sweetheart. Alongside the story of Harry and Gus’s journey, a reenactment of voyageurs wintering in the northern wilds, is Berit’s story, that of a woman who spent much of her life waiting for Harry. Berit also held her own in a town that did its best to bend her to its will. The stories in Wintering are incredible, filled with adventure, emotion, and healing. The writing of those stories is perfect. You can’t go wrong in reading this book. Enjoy!

Medicine Walk
by Richard Wagamese.

The Sister Wolf Book Group recently read and discussed Medicine Walk. 16-year old Franklin, who was abandoned at an early age by his father and raised by another man, has been called upon to accompany his dying biological father, Eldon, on a journey that will end with Eldon being buried in the warrior way. Despite a lifetime of bad memories of Eldon, Franklin agrees. Along the way, Franklin learns more about his family history that he ever has. Like Wintering, Medicine Walk is an incredible story written beautifully.

The Dark Lady’s Mask
by Mary Sharratt

Who was Shakespeare’s dark lady? Who wrote the works attributed to Shakespeare? Mary Sharratt transcends the academic debate, bringing Elizabethan England alive in her latest novel. Political intrigue, mystery, poetry, prejudice, and derring-do combine as she explores “What if. . . ?” 

Many years ago, Sharratt came to Sister Wolf Books with her book Summit Avenue. We’re looking forward to welcoming her back.

The Grace of Silence
by Michele Norris

When RT Rybak, the former mayor of Minneapolis, was at the store, I enjoyed chatting with him about growing up in Minneapolis, and he suggested I read The Grace of Silence, written by the co-host of NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Actually, the book had been on my stack a LONG time, ever since I learned that Norris grew up on Oakland Avenue, eight blocks from the home where I grew up. Norris’ intention was to write a book about "the hidden conversation on race" that is going on in our country. Along the way she unearthed painful family secrets that caused her to question her own self-understanding and complex racial legacy. I grew up in an integrated neighborhood and went to integrated schools, but only as an adult am I coming to realize that my reality was not that of my neighbors’. Although this book was published in 2010, it has much to inform the continuing conversation in the United States about race.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
by Marie Kondo, translated by Cathy Hirano

Having recently been a part of more than one moving crew, I've been motivated to take a good hard look at my own possessions. As luck would have it, I have also recently become aware of Marie Kondo's book. Kondo provides a step by step method describing how and what to discard. She directs readers to tidy by category and includes storage tips. Finally, she describes the physical and mental benefits of decluttering and having an organized living space. Anyone looking to declutter their home is sure to find some great tips in this book.

Atoms Under the Floorboards
by Chris Woodford

First of all, this is a fun book and you don’t even have to be a science nerd like me to enjoy it. I will say it is an adult book but not in the racy sense. (I mean, they gave it to the “science guy” to review!)  While it’s not a kids book, it is a great book to discuss with kids or at least use to amaze them with such facts as “Did you know the average house weighs 440,000 pounds?  That’s the same as about 35 elephants!”  Pull that one out at dinner. There are lots of visuals with things like charts that show that the lift-off of the space shuttle would be the equivalent of 22 billion hamsters running in their wheels. There’s an early chapter that talks about energy and toward the end mentions the cost beyond just dollars and cents . . . a nice touch. There are also some nice ties to familiar things such as the way my squirt gun works compared to the hydraulic lift in the auto repair shop. A word of note, the author is English and he writes in SI units. That means he will use Kilograms (Kg) instead of pounds (lb) for mass and cm squared instead of inch squared for area but it’s not a problem and you probably have an app to convert that on your phone, so no worries.

If you have a young person headed for college in the next couple years even remotely thinking about science, math or engineering I’d buy them this book. I’m going to write to the Dean of Engineering at the University of North Dakota, where I taught, and suggest he put this on the reading list for freshmen in Engineering.

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War
by Karen Abbott

This is an historical account of the Civil War as it took place around Richmond, VA. Four women made a big difference in a time when women had very little influence on the powers that made decisions. Belle and Rose were loyal to the South. Emma disguised herself as Frank Thompson and enlisted in the Union army. Elizabeth was a union spy within the city of Richmond which was the capital of the Confederacy. These daring, little-known heroines were fascinating to read about. One wonders what we would have done in similar circumstances. Check out the author's description on YouTube.

Still Life with Bread Crumbs
by Anna Quindlen

Rebecca Winter, sophisticated New Yorker and well-known photographer, suddenly finds herself with a shaky bank balance. She leases out her apartment and rents a cabin in the woods. Rebecca meets some very interesting characters:  Jim, who comes to remove the raccoon in the attic; Tad, a clown who aspires to sing opera and Sarah who has just opened an English tea room. Along the way Rebecca finds unexpected love and discovers what she sees in the camera lens is not all there is to life.

A Sudden Light
by Garth Stein

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Stein is one of my all-time favorites. Sudden Light is an entirely different story, though both deal with a little of the supernatural.  14 year-old Trevor is brought by his father to meet Samuel, his grandfather for the very first time. Samuel lives on the Riddell estate, which was built by the Riddle family who were in the timber business. The house is full of hidden passages and spirits of the ancestors. Only Trevor's willingness to face the dark past of his forefathers will reveal the key to his family's future. The family tree included was very helpful.

Laura Rider's Masterpiece
Jane Hamilton

This very funny book is unusual for Hamilton (Book of Ruth and Map of the World). A landscape designer from a small Midwestern town takes it into her head to write a Romance Novel, even though she's never been a reader. Her idea of research is to get her husband mixed up with a famous radio talk show host and watch what happens. Hilarity ensues.

My American Duchess
Eloisa James

My first Romance Novel! A friend heard about James on NPR, got hooked, and gave this book to me. The first few pages had my eyes rolling: it isn’t Great Literature. But once you get into the flirting it’s so delicious and fun! It’s Jane Austen period and characters, but these lords and ladies have lusty thoughts Austen couldn’t have gotten published if she’d tried. And then My American Duchess gets blue, really explicit: give it a read if you dare! Listen to Eloisa James reading from My American Duchess on NPR.

Emma: A Modern Retelling
Alexander McCall Smith

Smith, author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, demonstrates once again that Jane Austen's characters and their quandaries are timeless. In Smith's Emma we learn the back stories, such as why Mr. Wodehouse is such a nervous Nelly. (For one thing, he was born during the Cuban missile crisis.) There are a couple of twists in the end that bring the plot into the 21st century. An added benefit of reading this was that it sent me back to re-read the original, masterful Emma.

A Man Called Ove
by Fredrik Backman

This is a great story about Ove, a man who is all about rigid routines and uncompromising principles. After a lifetime of hard work, he is not happy when he has to retire, but his life is anything but dull when a young family moves in next door. Ove just wants to be left in peace, but against his wishes he finds himself spending most of his time in the company of his new neighbors, and the result is a humorous and touching story. Here’s a link to the trailer of the Swedish movie made from the book. You don’t need to understand Swedish to get a feel for Ove’s character!