My Own Words
Ruth Bader Ginsburg

I didn't realize the format of this book until I started reading it and I love it! The book is a collection of RBG's writings, starting as early as 8th grade. The co-authors give context, then the writing is presented and then a photograph of how it appeared in the world is shown (for example, a school newspaper.) Ginsburg was convinced by the co-authors that a biography *would* be written about her and she might as well write it, or at the least, she might as well have a hand in it. Before reading this book, I had heard that Ginsburg and Scalia were friendly with each other outside work, but I always figured that was more for appearances than anything. It turns out, they really *were* friends. To my delight, there is an opera based on them, simply titled "Scalia/Ginsburg" and the two justices made cameos in the debut production. Part of the opera's libretto appears in My Own Words. I'm thoroughly enjoying this book and look forward to discussing it with the Current Events book group!

David Copperfield
Charles Dickens

The Paris Hours
Alex George

In this novel set in Paris in 1927, the reader follows along with four narratives that will ultimately intertwine in the conclusion of the book. There's Camille, the maid of Marcel Proust, who failed to burn one of her employer's notebooks upon his request and when Camille's husband discovers it and sells it, she is desperate to get it back; Souren is an Armenian refugee who carries the pain of a horrific past incident and now re-enacts his past through puppetry; Guillaume, an artist who is about to be killed for a debt he owes unless he can come up with the money; and Jean-Paul, a journalist who writes about other people's lives rather than facing his own. Author Alex George gives us the back stories of each in short narratives, each ending with the reader clamoring for more. Cameos are made by Gertrude Stein, Alice Toklas, Ernest Hemingway, and Marcel Proust, but the heart of the story is the four above-mentioned narratives. Had it not been for the pesky requirements that I sleep and work, I would have read this book in one sitting. The stories are amazing and the language sublime. There are some books that I cannot oversell to customers and this will be one. I look forward to pressing this book into the hands of about-to-be-thrilled readers.

This book doesn't come out until May but you can
pre-order it now! 

The Children's Blizzard
David Laskin

This is an older work of nonfiction about the Children's Blizzard of 1888. This was not the worst blizzard ever to hit our country, but it had one of the highest mortality rates because of its timing. Leading up to the Children's Blizzard, there had been several weeks of bitter cold. On the day of this blizzard, the morning was sunny, bright and much warmer, and many children ran off to school in the morning without coats, hats, and mittens. About 3:00 in the afternoon, the time children were released from school to go home, the blizzard hit. Many children died as a result. I'm reading this for research for an upcoming project.

I Survived the Children's Blizzard
Lauren Tarshis

For a while, I’ve been intrigued by the I Survived series. The books are historical fiction for readers age 7 to 10. Our young readers eat these books up and want more, more, more, which isn't terribly common for juvenile historical fiction. In this volume, a fictional boy named John Hale is one of the children caught in the 1888 blizzard. While John's story, that of a boy whose family moved to Dakota from Chicago to try a life at farming, is fictional, the historical elements are true. I learned much about the Children's Blizzard from this slim volume and it left me wanting to learn more! I also can see why kids are so attracted to these books—what could be more thrilling than stories about actual disasters featuring children as main characters?

The Blue Zone Kitchen
Dan Buettner

This book was a hot commodity in the store before Christmas. I didn’t have time to read it then, but I seem to have a little more time for reading now (ahem.) A number of years ago, Dan Buettner wrote Blue Zones, in which he explored several communities whose residents were extraordinarily long-lived. He discovered several commonalities in these communities, including, lifestyle, stress-coping practices, and nutrition.

Buettner introduces The Blue Zones Kitchen by saying, “If you want to live to a healthy 100, eat like healthy people who’ve lived to 100.” The book is a cookbook which lets you do that, by providing recipes from 5 Blue Zone communities. Last fall, my granddaughter went on a school trip to Costa Rica, where one of the blue zone communities is located. I discovered her observation that “they eat rice and beans at every meal!” to be borne out in Blue Zones Kitchen.

The book is packed with beautiful photography and intriguing recipes. I’m interested in trying some, although I don’t think I’ll be serving rice and beans to my granddaughter any time soon!

Talking to Strangers
Malcolm Gladwell

I listened to Gladwell’s latest book on libro.fm, and it was the most unusual audio book I’ve ever heard. The author narrates, but the book comes alive by including actual taped interviews (and some which were recreated for the audio book.)

I’ve been a fan of Gladwell’s since reading The Tipping Point and The Outliers. His approach is to apply research, usually in the social sciences, in unusual ways. In Talking with Strangers, Gladwell explores the ways in which communication with people we don’t know can go wrong. His examples include, among others, the suicide of Sandra Bland in jail after a traffic stop, a double spy in the CIA, the pedophilia trial of Jerry Sandusky, the trial of Amanda Knox, the manipulations of Bernie Madoff, and the suicides of poets Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton. Gladwell says we are “hardwired to default to truth,” but his numerous accounts of talking to strangers going wrong make this book both fascinating and disturbing. I certainly will think of it the next time I interview someone for a job!

#libro.fm #littlebrownandcompany #MalcolmGladwell

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls
Anissa Gray

Imagine a married couple being arrested and convicted of white-collar crime. They’ve gone from being regarded as pillars of their community to being outcasts. This wonderful novel focuses on the family of Althea Cochran who, with her husband Proctor, was convicted of fraud and stealing from the federal government and their fellow citizens. Since the death of her mother when she was 12, Althea has been the matriarch of the family, raising her younger siblings, Viola, Joe, and Lillian, her strong will shaping their lives. Now Viola and Lillian are caring for Althea and Proctor’s children, while Joe has other ideas. The children, twin teenagers named Baby Vi and Kim, are hurting. Kim, in particular, is dealing with her role in her parents’ arrests and prosecution. As the family deals with all this, they are forced to acknowledge family secrets, which include abuse, eating disorders, and infidelity. The story is narrated by the voices of several characters, which enriches its telling. The characters are rich, complex, and believable. They could be people we know. They could be us. I listened to the book on libro.fm, and the multiple narrators were each perfect for their character. This book will be particularly good for book groups, offering a number of issues to discuss.

#libro.fm #Berkley #AnisaGray

No One is Too Small to Make a Difference
Greta Thunberg

This small book is a collection of speeches by the Swedish activist for climate change in international venues between September 2018 to September 2019. Thunberg, the teenager who has been striking school to draw attention to her cause, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She is impressively knowledgeable about the science behind the alarm she is raising and blunt in demanding action from world leaders. Because the speeches are on the same topic, delivered in different settings, there is a fair amount of redundancy. However, this serves to emphasize the importance and urgency of her words. I listened to the audiobook on libro.fm, and appreciated the opportunity to hear Thunberg’s voice. I highly recommend this format.

It is unsettling that the current pandemic has replaced the issue of climate change in our corporate consciousness.

#libro.fm #PenguinBooks # Greta Thurnberg

There There
Tommy Orange

The novel There There tells the stories of several Native Americans who all live in the Oakland area. By various paths and for their own reasons, they are all ultimately headed to the Oakland Powwow. There There tells the individual stories that precede the actual gathering. The lives of the characters offer insight regarding challenges such as poverty, abuse, and addiction. They search for cultural awareness and personal identity through the stages of life. The stories are often both difficult to read and compelling. The tension builds as the Powwow draws near. There There is a skillfully written and thought-provoking book.

Dead West
Matt Goldman

Well, this is my third Matt Goldman murder mystery, and I’m still having a great time reading his books. Did I really just say that? You don’t suppose I’m losing touch with my Sci-Fi side? Not a chance! Nonetheless, Dead West is a great read.

True to form, the author starts out in a Minnesota setting. A wealthy grandmother has hired Stone Arch Investigators to check up on her independent grandson who lives in L.A. (not exactly Gopher territory.) She wants to know what he is doing with his $30 million trust fund. Not exactly a Nils Shapiro (our hero) kind of job, but a nice getaway. Nils convinces his boss to let him take a friend along, Jameson White, a former offensive lineman who played his college years for UCLA and a guy who knows how to get around in L.A. There is a twist (you knew there would be): the grandson’s fiance’e died recently at 28. Nils heads out to L.A. and that’s when the fun begins.

Note: the book will be released August 4, and may be pre-ordered from our web site. That’s long time away. In the meantime, read Gone to Dust and Broken Ice, Goldman’s earlier books which are in paperback.

The Pearl That Broke Its Shell
Nadia Hashimi

Rahima's father is addicted to opium. In Afghanistan women aren't allowed to go out of their homes without an escort. All Rahima has are sisters so she takes the role of Bacca Posh. (Bacha posh is a cultural practice in parts of Afghanistan, in which some families without sons will pick a daughter to live and behave as a boy.) She cuts her hair and dresses like a boy. She loves the freedom of going to the market and going to the boys’ school. She dreads the day when she becomes old enough to be married off. Rahima learns that her great, great grandmother was also a Bacca Posh. Both stories are told in the book. I can't say which story was more exciting as the two remarkable women make unusual and dangerous choices. The review by Khalid Hosseini, the author of The Kite Runner, says this book is a mirror into the ongoing struggles of the Afghan women.

Vinegar Girl
Anne Tyler

Anne Tyler has retold Shakespeare's tale of The Taming of the Shrew. 29-year-old Kate takes care of her eccentric scientist father and her 14 year old sister. All of her friends are married or have moved away. Her father, Dr. Battista, has a problem. His young assistant, Pytor, is nearing the end of his visa. Dr. Batista needs Pyotr to help finish his research. The doctor hatches an outrageous plan and begs Kate to help him. She is furious but will she be able to resist? This short novel is full of humor that you are sure to enjoy.

The Same Sky
Amanda Ward

Alice and Jake run a successful bar-b-que restaurant in Texas. They are a loving couple but Alice feels something is missing. In alternate chapters we read 12-year-old Carla's story. She lives in Honduras with her little brother. When their grandmother dies and violence escalates, she decides to make the perilous trek to the United States. The two stories interact in a surprising way. After you read this story you may view the world a little differently, and isn't that the goal of good literature?

The School of Essential Ingredients
Erica Bauermeister

Lillian runs a successful restaurant. On Monday nights when the restaurant is closed, she teaches a cooking class. The class is different from most as there are no recipes. Each chapter tells about one of the students in the class and how the dish that is prepared seems to speak specifically to them. The descriptions of the ingredients and the preparation are out of this world. It made me realize that instead of just eating because the food is there, one needs to take time to enjoy the preparation and savor the smells as it cooks. This book is the perfect recipe to escape life's stresses. If you like this story, try Joy for Beginners, also by Erica Bauermeister.

Dead Land
Sara Paretsky

I have to thank Sally for sharing this book before it hit the bookstores. Paretsky has done it again. Her novels bring out various social issues, in this case the endangerment of Kansas farmers and prairies, the importance of preserving Chicago’s lakefront, the difficulty in doing real journalism today, and corruption in Chicago and Cook County governments among other things. It’s amazing that she does this while writing such readable books. Her irresistible chapter titles illustrate this: “Jailhouse Blues,” “Quicksand in the Valley of Regret,” “The Usual Suspects,” “A Vampire in a Cave,” “There Is an I in ‘Quit’,” “Digging Up the Deep State,” “Found in the Shuffle,” “Long Night’s Journey Into Day,” “Swimming in Liquid Lead,” and “His Guy Friday.” Enough said.

Note: The book will be published April 21 and may be preordered on our web site.

Re-Coil
J.T. Nicholas

And I have to thank Bob for recommending Re-Coil. He said it has everything good science fiction should: intriguing and credible ideas about the potentials of technology and the ways that humanity itself might be changed, characters you care about, and a suspenseful story. This book has particular relevance today as it deals with a very different sort of virus. It’s not a question of health care systems, but of the end of mortality and immortality, with some echoes of today in questions about transparency and the motivations of corporations too big to control.

To make my gratitude to the family complete, thanks to Jen’s recommendation I’m now reading Bowlaway, which promises to be a fine distraction from today’s news. Stay tuned: more about Bowlaway next month.

The Sunday Philosophy Club
Alexander McCall Smith

Who knew that Alexander McCall Smith wrote books set in Scotland instead of Africa? Not me. A woman of some means is approaching middle age in Edinburgh. She edits the Review of Applied Ethics, and is constantly thinking about the philosophical and moral ramifications of her own decisions as well as the events around her. She isn’t a detective, just a rather nosy woman who questions what she owes to a stranger because she witnessed his fatal fall from the balcony of a theater. She wishes the Sunday Philosophy Club would meet and advise her, but they don’t actually convene once during the novel. I suspect that the readers (me, and perhaps you) are the club.

44 Scotland Street
Alexander McCall Smith

This is another novel McCall Smith set in Edinburgh. This one was originally written serially, each chapter published in a daily paper, The Scotland. Writing this way, like Dickens wrote, but daily instead of weekly or monthly, was quite a challenge. Every chapter has to have some event that will lead the reader on to the next day, and setting it in the paper lent it to social commentary. It results in a very readable book that provides a real taste of the city in which it’s set.

Marriage
Susan Ferrier

Susan Ferrier is called the Jane Austen of Scotland, so I had to check her out. She was a contemporary of Austen who wrote humorously about society, but Ferrier was much more acclaimed at the time, and sold many more copies of her books. She stopped writing after three novels due to fading eyesight and because she did not like being a celebrity. She converted to a conservative Free Church, which isn’t too surprising based on her emphasis on religion in her novels.

Marriage begins with a Lydia-like young lady jilting a Duke days before their wedding and running away with a poor but romantic Scottish youth. The protagonist in most of the book is a Jane-like daughter, with a Lizzy-like cousin… Actually, every character in Pride and Prejudice has an equivalent character in Marriage except, alas, poor Darcy. He is missed.

Comparing and contrasting Ferrier and Austen would be a great book group topic. Ferrier based all of the characters in Marriage on actual people, which makes me think about how the British society of the time formed the women’s novels. Personally, I feel like Ferrier is actually more like Dickens than Austen. I wish I knew someone who has read Ferrier because I would love to discuss thoughts about the three authors!

The Great Unknown
Peg Kingman

“Once a thing is known, there is no going back; no unknowing it again.”

Imagine a discovery that sees to upset conventions of thought that for a millennium have provided a solid foundation for the human concept of reality. Imagine that this new discovery plainly shows that assumptions about “Man” previously accepted as true, even thought to be beyond question, are proved to be obviously flawed. Such were the discoveries of fossils, in the early 19th century, coupled with improved understanding of ‘evolution’ as a necessary explanation of their existence. The Great Unknown, by Peg Kingman, is a novel that explores our responsibility to accept the ‘Process of Evolution in Thought” as a fact, as true as any other process of nature. With time and knowledge our understanding evolves:

The Earth is a sphere; not flat.

Earth orbits the Sun, not the reverse.

Environmental degradation and finite resources are facts with attending consequences

Viral infection is a process that does not bow to ideological silliness.

Eden’s Outcasts
John Matteson

Eden’s Outcasts is a biographical account of Bronson Alcott and his daughter, Louisa May Alcott. Bronson Alcott was a deeply religious, largely self-educated, progressive educator. He was an idealist whose thought placed him in the forefront of developing American Transcendentalism, along with Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and the like. Bronson Alcott was also an Idealist cursed with generous motives as well as inflexibly dogmatic views, making him a spectacularly poor provider for his family.

Gaunt poverty, a broad and thorough education, coupled with Louisa’s yearning for escape, provided a means of earning money through her writing short stories, poetry, and eventually novels. If you’ve enjoyed the book Little Women and are curious about who the characters are patterned after, the struggles of their lives, what urged their creation, give this rewarding book a chance.

The Heart, Frida Kahlo in Paris
Marc Petitjean

Frida Kahlo was the wife if the famous muralist Diego Rivera. On January 21, 1939, she sailed for Paris, where she was going to do a show of her paintings. Overshadowed by her famous husband’s reputation, she had struggled to become accepted as a serious artist. This show in Paris, it was hoped, would provide the exposure necessary to establish her own reputation. On arriving she created a sensation, as much for her personal style of traditional Mexican dress as for her paintings. She also met the 29 year old Michel Petitjean, the author’s father. Frida, who was 32,and Michel became lovers, and it’s through a trove of letters found after the death of his father, that Marc Petitjean explores the few weeks that Frida was in Paris, culminating with the show of her paintings. Along with Frida’s paintings were shown paintings by Picasso, Duchamp, and others, so this was no light weight event! It’s not often we get such a personal account of such a pivotal event from the inside.

Note: the book will be released April 28, and may be
pre-ordered from our web site.

Good Mornings: Morning Rituals for Wellness, Peace and Purpose
Linnea Dunne

Every December, our local independent bookstore publishes their monthly newsletter and the theme is books the employees would like to give and receive. Well, I had read a review about Good Mornings: Morning Rituals for Wellness, Peace and Purpose by Linnea Dunne in a different monthly publication and determined this was a gift I would definitely like to receive so I purchased this affordably priced ($16.99) hardcover book for my Christmas present and promptly pored over it in less than 24 hours, on Christmas Eve and Day no less! It is filled with meaningful quotes, harmonious drawings, and lovely quotes; the format makes it a very easy and pleasurable read.

I found the content very inspiring. Ms. Dunne very clearly establishes the importance of adhering to a morning ritual. The author cites the morning rituals of many famous people. She also spends some time distinguishing the difference between the terms routine and ritual. Topics within the book include: deep breathing, meditation, yoga, exercise, the healing power of water, journaling, hydration, nourishment, cleansing, and nature; by no means does the author suggest that all these facets must be included in your morning ritual. The goal is to use these ideas to design a morning ritual that resonates with your personal needs and desires. In each section, Ms. Dunne provides examples of rituals for the “time-poor” and the “time-rich” to stimulate your own creative thought processes.

This is definitely a book I would give as a gift or recommend to patients. It is also a book that I plan to keep which is a rarity—I typically recycle my books (resell, donate to My Little Library, donate to Friends of the Library or the DAC, etc.) The pages that I have tabbed for invaluable future reference include: an exercise on connecting to your values, early morning bed yoga, breathing rituals for the time-poor and time-rich, full-body home workout, the promise of a blank page, recording gratitude, writing a gratitude journal, the art of positive journaling. As you can see, that is quite an extensive list for a 192 page book.

This book certainly embraces the current mindfulness movement and reinforces the importance of daily self-care. According to Aristotle, “It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth and wisdom”. I hope you invest the time and effort to read this book and employ some strategies outlined within this gem, especially if your New Year’s intentions have already come and gone.

Note: This review was published in the Park Rapids Enterprise and is printed here with the permission of the author.