Staff Picks Format: Book

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward [Book]

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In a Faulkner-esque, southern gothic narrative, Jesmyn Ward crafts a story of a poor, Black, Mississippi family enduring drug addiction, the horrors of prison, grief and loss, and everyday struggles. The shifting perspectives primarily follow the lives of Jojo, the thirteen-year-old protagonist losing innocence, and his grieving addict mother, Leonie, featuring limited perspectives from his toddler sister, white, incarcerated father, and aging grandparents. We are dropped into the narrative as the family receives news that Jojo’s father, Michael, is to be released from the Mississippi State Penitentiary and the family begins their journey to bring him home; a journey that ostensibly is not linear or without turmoil. Ward evokes themes of Black spirituality and the supernatural–from phantom appearances to natural remedies. As Leonie struggles with motherhood, leaving Jojo to assume a parental role for his younger sister, the family, both together and individually recognize their realities. Throughout their experiences, Ward evinces just how pervasive intergenerational trauma is and how legacies of slavery and history can never truly be relegated to the past.

The Hawk’s Way: Encounters With Fierce Beauty by Sy Montgomery [Book]

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In this short book, the author, Sy Montgomery, takes the reader through her journey with learning falconry, an ancient practice where humans and hawks join together to hunt. This partnership is unlike any Montgomery (or most of us) has encountered and calls her to question her relationship with the predators who, unable to be anthropomorphized, operate on instinct and care nothing for human companionship. Yet we are held in such thrall by their wildness. A wonderful, reflective piece of nonfiction.

Insomniac City: New York, Oliver, and me by Bill Hayes [Book]

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Writer and photographer Bill Hayes has written a moving memoir that is equally a love letter to New York City and an affectionate portrait of his partner, the writer and neurologist Oliver Sacks. Through vignettes and diary entries we see the city and the people in it as Hayes does and his enthusiasm and affection are infectious. It’s a particular treat to see Sacks through Hayes’s eyes: here he is revealed, yes, as a brilliant scientist and writer and as a quirky genius with eccentric habits, but, more importantly, as the brilliant scientist and quirky genius whom Hayes adores and who adores Hayes in turn. As for the city, Hayes has a remarkable ability to meet, befriend, and like the people around him, and many of the passages that are not about Hayes and Sacks are about Hayes and the folks he meets: shop owners, skateboarders, dancers, artists, many of whom he meets through his photography. The photographs in the book, even when it is not clear how they relate to the text, further enhance the experience of, again, seeing through Hayes’s eyes.

The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale by Stephanie Eding [Book]

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Thirty-year-old Josie Hale discovers she is pregnant after catching her husband with another woman and moving back in with her parents. Craving the comfort of a corn dog, she emerges from hiding and almost immediately runs into high school buddies Kevin and Ben at the local fair. They haven’t seen each other in a dozen years, yet they get along as though no time has passed. Recognizing that they are all disappointed with the direction of their lives, the three of them decide to move in together and make a pact to collectively improve their lives professionally, financially, and emotionally. Josie finds work as a substitute teacher, Kevin changes career directions at his father’s insurance agency, and Ben returns to school to improve his job prospects. Josie’s high school crush on Ben is not as unrequited as she thought, Kevin’s fear of commitment has turned on him, and Ben’s relationship with his 11-year-old daughter can only improve. Adulting is hard, but second chances with a found family can make it easier to handle. A good fit for readers of romantic women’s fiction and those who enjoy coming-of-age-after-college stories.

The Tsarina’s Daughter by Ellen Alpsten [Book]

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Alpsten’s follow up to Tsarina (2020) focuses on the life of Elizabeth (Lizenka), daughter of Peter the Great and his second wife Catherine I, from her royal childhood through a tumultuous adolescence and young adulthood. Lizenka is charming, beautiful, and beloved, inspiring envy and loyalty among her relations and the Russian people. Political intrigue abounds, with friends and family moving through the court and royal residences as power shifts and people fall in and out of favor. Originally expected to marry Louis XV, Lizenka’s fortunes fall not long after she encounters the Leshy (a forest spirit) on a walk in the woods. The Leshy tells Lizenka her future, and Lizenka returns to the Leshy’s words over the years as each prediction comes true. In addition to foretelling Lizenka’s difficulties, the Leshy also tells of greatness, which comes to fruition just as the volume ends. Students of Russian history will enjoy the attention to detail (see the author’s note for details) and fans of historical fiction based on real people will devour this rich repast, and be left eager for the next book’s conclusion of this trilogy about the Romanovs.

Sounds like Titanic by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman [Book]

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After a childhood spent driving over the mountains of West Virginia to take violin lessons, Jessica is now officially a music student at Columbia University and on track to achieve her dream of becoming a professional violinist. As her first semester wears on, however, something becomes abundantly, horribly clear: Jessica isn’t good enough to play the violin professionally. Not even close. And the cost of her education is slowly crushing her, forcing her to take any job she can to survive.
So when Jessica is unexpectedly hired to play the violin at craft fairs and art shows by a mysterious man (identified only as The Composer throughout the book), she jumps at the opportunity. The Composer has a large, dedicated fanbase who obsess over his inoffensive, pennywhistle-heavy instrumental music, but Jessica quickly realizes that something is amiss about his live performances: they’re not live at all. As Jessica gets more and more involved in her work with the Composer, eventually touring across America with his group, she has to reckon with her own ideas of success and authenticity—all while pretending to play the violin in front of concert halls full of people.
This quick-moving memoir is a story of coming to terms with one’s own inescapable mediocrity after a lifetime of being called “gifted.” It’s also a funny and brutal look into the experience of someone who kind of, but not really, got to live out a dream—as well as a peek at the strange and mercurial composer whose fame was primarily based on the fact that his music shamelessly mimicked the soundtrack of the 1997 movie Titanic. Fans of quirky, biting, beautifully-written memoirs will love this quick read.

Elevation by Stephen King [Book]

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A quick read by a master of his craft, Elevation by Stephen King has all the best traits of the author in a short, easy to read format–perfect for a rainy afternoon! In typical Stephen King fashion, the story is set in Castle Rock where the day-to-day life of the locals seems just that…day-to-day. Scott Carey is part of those everyday challenges with one exception; he is slowly losing weight without getting any thinner. As his affliction becomes a gift, he faces the fact that he may be leaving Earth soon and wonders what he can and will leave behind. For readers, there are lessons to be learned and allegorical themes to be questioned. Stephen King is at his finest here and this short book leaves a lasting impression.

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams [Book]

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Words matter. Williams’ romantic novel places several imaginary characters inside the very real creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. The women who were really involved in that enterprise have left little historical record. The novel’s focus is the lost words: the words of women and the poor that are not recorded in history and the lives of women that go unrecorded and disregarded by academia. The protagonist experiences a series of losses, yet the book is overwhelmingly positive in outlook. A strong sense of place takes the reader to England at the turn of the last century and at the beginnings of World War I.

Cultivating Delight: A Natural History of My Garden by Diane Ackerman [Book]

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Ackerman’s award winner (NY Times Notable Books) is an exploration of the pleasures of her Ithaca, New York garden over the course of a year. While many gardeners may be quite jealous, (she clearly has LOTS of paid assistance in maintenance and renovations), her descriptions and historical asides are in her trademark lush, sensory-oriented language.

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger [Book]

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The historical and the literary worlds meet in this beautifully written novel, a perfect choice for a book group! The story is rooted in the literary tradition of Huckleberry Finn all while following the path of The Odyssey. The novel takes place during the Great Depression and it revolves around Odie, a 12 year old orphan who runs away from the horrendous boarding school he and his brother have been left in. As Odie and his band of friends make their way towards St. Louis, they encounter a wide array of characters: everyone from a drunken, one eyed farmer who is hiding a family secret, to a faith healer who is able to see the truth behind the lies. The book deals with many hard truths, including the hatred shown to Native Americans throughout American history and the abject poverty of the Hoovervilles that littered the country during the Depression. In the midst of that is a search for meaning, a search for faith, and an understanding that love of friends, family, and home can combat hatred.

I Kissed a Girl by Jennet Alexander [Book]

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After dying early in a few horror movies, actress Lilah Silver is headlining for the first time. Noa Birnbaum just dropped out of college to take a makeup artist/special effects job on Lilah’s movie. Lilah hopes this final girl role will open her up to serious acting opportunities. Noa, who has been crushing on Lilah since her first bit part, hopes this gig will get her the hours and recommendation she needs to join the union. There is chemistry between them when they meet, and a rule against fraternization between cast and crew to complicate things. Add an uncannily accurate anonymous item in a gossip magazine and evidence of a dangerous fan, plus the heightened emotion of an intense film shoot, and you have a fast read filled with warmth, romance, coming out, vivid supporting characters, and a behind-the-scenes peek at Hollywood. Lilah and Noa are believably imperfect young Jewish women navigating early adulthood with the support of their friends and families, stumbling into solvable problems on their way to each other. A charming entry in the new adult queer romantic comedies trend in the vein of Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall.

Catch Us When We Fall by Juliette Fay [Book]

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A compelling read from seasoned author Fay features the story of Cass Macklin: grieving the death of Ben, her boyfriend of nearly ten years, while newly pregnant, homeless, and scared. Cass spent most of the previous decade drunk, and is now faced with the challenge of creating a healthy life for herself and her baby with no friends nor funds to support these goals. After suffering a setback in her sobriety, she tracks down Ben’s brother Scott, a professional baseball player, to ask for help. Skeptical of her commitment to cleaning up, and sharing the same early life suffering that drove Ben to drink, Scott also has a lot to learn about life. Cass goes through rehab and moves into Scott’s spare room on the condition that she stay sober. Scott plays ball through the season, coming home between road trips to Cass as she attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and pursues her education. Their tentative agreement grows into a mutually supportive friendship that carries them through the birth of the baby and into the future.

Readers who enjoy an emotional journey including hope and redemption will be well satisfied with this story. Offer it to fans of Jacqueline Mitchard and Jodi Picoult.