Sarah's Picks
My latest fiction obsession has been mid-century feminist fiction and When Women Were Dragons fits the bill magnificently. I appreciate the perspective of our protagonist, Alex, being central to the storytelling, alternating between her childhood, when the Mass Dragoning takes place, and contemporary knowledge and research of the Dragons. In addition to Alex’s first person POV, we, as readers, are treated to various interludes from the foremost (underground) expert on Dragoning, Dr. Gantz, and I appreciated his overwhelming desire to understand and discuss what was happening to the women who dragooned, rather than ignore it like most of his contemporaries. As a person whose mother also suffered from cancer when I was a young girl, I greatly appreciated how Kelly handled showing Mother’s sickness from child and teenage Alex’s perspectives. I tremendously enjoyed When Women Were Dragons and am very excited to add it to both the shelves at the store, and my shelf of favorite books at home.
I had originally intended to pick The Storyteller as a holiday staff pick but didn’t get to read it in time. I figured I had plenty of time, the Foos weren’t going anywhere. I was even going to see them in concert this year. But with Taylor, the drummer, gone, now seemed like the fitting time pick up Dave’s memoir and learn more about my favorite band. It’s witty and touching, and an absolute gem to read.
I absolutely LOVED this book! It fits squarely into my new favorite sub-genre (uplifting mid-century feminist historical fiction) and I read the entire book in one sitting. Elizabeth is a dynamic heroine and one cannot help but adore her dog, Six-Thirty, daughter Mad, and all the other wonderful characters that they meet. There are intergenerational friendships, female friendships, and a very charming minister who may or may not actually believe in God.
Yes, yes, yes. It feels like I have been waiting for this book for my entire life and it is exactly what my hockey goalie heart wanted. Female friendships, a husband who managed a bookstore, kids getting into the sport their parents loved on their own, a long over due #MeToo in the hockey world, a pub date right after the Winter Olympics, and a team of young girls coming together to embrace the sport they love - I loved every page, every minute, of Home or Away.
A fun and overall lighthearted pop-science book about the periodic table. You do not need to be a diehard periodic table lover, nor a science fan, to enjoy The Disappearing Spoon. Fifty percent science, fifty percent history, it's a great collection of stories about the scientists who discovered certain elements, and how they played a role throughout history.
As a young woman who also happens to be a violist, I was entranced by the tragic story of Stephanie, a New England music teacher who was murdered in upstate New York. Rachel strikes the perfect balance between personal and detached. Having grown up in the same town as Stephanie, and whose mother would eventually marry Stephanie's grieving father, Stephanie was close to her step-father but she approaches her investigation of Stephanie's murder with a journalistic sense of detachment from her subject. She never personally knew her step sister, but was, like many of us often are by the family members we never met, absolutely fascinated by her and determined that she should attempt to resurrect the cold case of Stephanie's murder. Akin to ?We Keep the Dead Close, Rachel investigates not only the murder of her step-sister, but also how society treats, and obsesses over, murdered young women, particularly beautiful white women. It's not only a captivating addition to the true crime/memoir pantheon, but also a worth edition to a sociology and gender studies shelf as well.
I absolutely loved I Must Betray You and am so glad that Ruta continues to write about young people dealing with tremendously terrifying, yet real, life circumstances. In I Must Betray You, she sheds light on Romania at the end of the 80s under a regime that has only one comparison in 2021 - North Korea. Cristian is a remarkable new hero to add to her pantheon of amazing characters.
I greatly enjoyed Shady Hollow - it was exactly what I needed to escape the real world for an afternoon. Our heroine, a delightful investigative reporter fox, and her best friend, a whip smart raven who owns a bookstore, are probably two of my new all time favorite characters!
I miss my favorite country in the world, Scotland, all the time, but especially in January. It's a magical place and I was so excited to read about Hattie's own exploration of the country in this delightfully charming and witty romance. Hattie and Lucian are one of my new favorite couples and as I've decided that 2022 is my year of light and fluffy, but substantive, reading, there isn't any better book to start the year off with!
If you absolutely loved ACOTAR, this is the book for you. Inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, there are also strong Beauty and the Beast moments and it will satisfy the romance and fantasy itch. For the Wolf is all about choice – particularly choices you feel forced into and the ones that aren’t as one sided as they might seem - sometimes we fail to remember that our families and friends would rather suffer with us than potentially be without us.