April readings feature varied historical and societal content

FICTION

 

“Shrines of Gaiety” by Kate Atkinson. Set in 1926, if you watched the Peaky Blinders series, you will recognize the London smoky nightclub settings. These are run by a matriarch who shall not be crossed and will not be swindled. Meanwhile, young girls flock to the city to find work and many are found floating in the Thames.

Exceptional writing and plot.

 

“On The Savage Side” by Tiffany McDaniel. A brutal tale of girls in Southern Ohio unable to escape the chains of narcotics and poverty, it’s not an easy read and a few too many dreamscapes, but this is a hauntingly realistic story. McDaniel’s other book “Betty” was great.

 

“I Have Some Questions for You” by Rebecca Makkai. This story covers memory and true crime and the influence of social media. But my attraction to it was the uncannily accurate depiction of boarding school in the Northeast. Makkai is a gifted writer and covers multiple themes with sharp observations and, yes, questions. Excellent for book clubs.

 

“The End of Drum Time” by Hanna Pylvainen. Set in the remote Scandinavian north, this is a fantastic story of power, love, faith and family in 1851. It is based on the efforts of the Lutherans to convert the Sami reindeer herders. How their personalities are honed by the cold and how they withstand the coldest climate is a fascinating and illustrative part of the story. 

 

“Bloody Martini” by William Kotzwinkle. Purely escapist fare, but a fast and entertaining read. Tommy Martini is a Benedictine monk. Independently wealthy via his mob family, he wishes to bring justice to certain situations. A bloody martini is an actual cocktail. I made one for research purposes.  

 

“Brutes” by Dizz Tate. This is the author’s first novel. It is not for everyone. Teenage girls in Florida deal with boys, hormones, parents, and a missing friend. Let’s just say these years will not be the happiest in their memories.

 

“Night Flight to Paris” by Cara Black. An American woman in 1942 Britain is a secret agent and sniper sent into the mix in Paris and Cairo. Fast paced with multiple plot twists, it’s a wild ride that promises more to come for the heroine, Kate Rees. Strong female characters trusted with an adventurous mission.

 

“West With Giraffes” by Lynda Rutledge. A young boy manages to attach himself to a truck making a cross-country delivery of giraffes to the San Diego Zoo in 1938. Life lessons abound as he is exposed to the best and worst of what the world has to offer. He tells the story from his nursing home as he turns 105. The Depression setting is always sobering as well as educational.

 

NONFICTION

 

“Whatever Next” by Anne Glenconner. This is the follow up to “Lady in Waiting.” I thoroughly enjoyed both. Lady Glenconnor shines a harsh light on British society and her own marriage. I am told the book cannot be read in public on Mustique, the island resort community for the truly wealthy which her husband founded as the members feel it is “husband bashing.” She narrates the recorded versions of both books and does a superb job.

 

“Untold Power” by Rebecca Boggs Roberts. This is the story of Edith Wilson and how she covertly ran the country after her husband suffered a stroke. Politics has been machinations, deceit, and malfeasance since time began. Will we ever get something better? The author is the daughter of Cokie Roberts, and she carries on the formidable task of documenting our history through rigorous research.

 

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