MADreads

It’s the day that many dream about, the culmination of a job well done:  retirement. It’s no different for the quartet of Billie, Natalie, Mary Alice and Helen, whose employer has generously gifted a Caribbean cruise to bid them adieu after decades of service for The Museum. It’s a lavish gift, and one that might be a trip of a lifetime—or the end of life. But it’s hardly surprising, as this group of sexagenarians are highly trained hit women, and they know it can only be their former employer gunning for them. The Museum, nominally devoted to erasing deserving baddies from the earth, has s

Christina Lauren's book is a hilarious story of two enemies who are forced to share a honeymoon package together in Hawaii. Olive Torres is her twin's exact opposite: Ami wins lots of paid contests, including several funding her entire wedding and honeymoon, while Olive is more likely to have disastrously bad luck. When some bad seafood sends practically the entire wedding to the hospital, Olive reluctantly agrees to use Ami's honeymoon package so as not to waste a nice vacation.

Gorgeous lyrics by Academy Award-winning Cree singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie are accompanied by absolutely stunning illustrations by Cree-Métis author, illustrator, and artist Julie Flett. The book is based on a song of the same name and celebrates nature, changing seasons, and Indigenous traditions. The author and illustrator notes, addressed to "readers and listeners," are also beautiful and full of love, and the sheet music is included at the end of the book so you can sing along. 

Do you wonder about art imitating life when it comes to writers and fiction? Popular audiobook narrator and actress Julia Whelan's new novel is about a famous audiobook narrator and actress named Sewanee Chester whose next project pairs her with another famous audiobook narrator named Brock McNight and all of it feels very real. Things start out with an industry convention in Las Vegas that is almost identical to a library or book industry conference. The author panels, the publisher booths and exhibit hall are exactly the same. I can attest to that.