Dogs don't lie
I tend to read a lot of pop psychology or conduct of life books and when I saw that Dave Barry's new book was about life lessons from his geriatric dog, of course I was going to read it and love it.
MADreads
Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors
Nothing in the 'verse can stop the Serenity crew
From the Firefly ‘verse -- the show that was cancelled after only one season, but has a cult following that just won’t quit --comes Big Damn Hero.
A Fur-ever Family
Arfy really wants his “fur-ever” home. He invites himself politely via mail to every resident on Butternut Street. Each invitee declines Arfy’s offer of being their dog. Just when Arfy thinks he’s stuck in the leaky cardboard box at the end of the alley forever, he receives a letter. The mail carrier on Butternut Street is in need of a friend. Would Arfy be interested in having her as his person? Joy ensues as Arfy jubilantly accepts. The illustrations are the real treat of this story. They are large, bright and full of emotion. Kids will cheer with Arfy as his dream comes true.
Catching up with old friends and meeting new ones
A couple of times a year I share a list of mysteries that I am looking forward to reading. Sometimes it's a whole new character that I'm wanting to meet and sometimes it's an old friend that I'm looking forward to reconnecting with. Here are some that have caught my eye this spring.
- A Gentlewoman's Guide to Murder by Victoria Hamilton [2/9]
character: spinster Emmeline St. Germaine
setting: Regency London
In the blink of an eye
It’s not often that the best and worst day in your life is one and the same, but for Margaret Jacobsen the protagonist and narrator in this remarkable novel it is. To achieve your dream job and a proposal by the man you adore, makes her believe that a wonderful picture-perfect life is just around the corner. But in one moment all of that is shattered as she finds herself at the beginning of a very different reality. All of which starts when Margaret wakes up in a hospital and slowly learns how much has changed.
Children in Chennai
Eleven year old Viji and her younger sister Rukku flee their abusive father and arrive in Chennai (India) all alone. Life on the streets is harsh and dangerous. The girls form a friendship with two boys living in similar circumstances. With Muthu and Arul, they make a shelter on an abandoned bridge. Together, the four children look for work, share resources, and become a family to each other. They even adopt a stray dog - Kutti, the best dog ever. One night they are forced from their bridge and take up shelter in a cemetery. There Rukku and Muthu fall ill.
True crime?
Anna McDonald has no idea of the double whammy that's about to hit her as she starts her day in the normal fashion; getting the kids lunches and clothing ready for school while starting a new true crime podcast. The first blow comes as she listens to the opening segment of the podcast and realizes that the true crime that's being narrated features a former friend who she is now learning is dead and may have taken his family with him on a sunken yacht in the Mediterranean.
Postmodern Hansel and Gretel
Helen Oyeyemi's Gingerbread is the story of three women, Margot, Harriet and Perdita Lee, how their lives intertwine with the Kerchevals, a wealthy family of landowners in the fictional country of Druhástrana, and a legacy recipe for gingerbread. It's hard to put into words all of the magic that's present in this novel. I'll tell you one thing: it was impossible for me to read this book without craving gingerbread something fierce.
Sweet Anticipation for May 2019
--It’s a very good month to be a Wisconsin author. This May sees the release of three titles with ties to the Badger State. Longtime local favorite Jennifer Chiaverini continues to explore the lives of real women through a historical fiction lens with Resistance Women. Her central character, Mildred Fish-Harnack, was raised in Milwaukee before moving to Germany where she worked as a spy against the Nazis. It’s on shelves mid-month. Madison-based author Kelly Harms scored recent hits with The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay and The Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane.
National Poetry Month, Part 4
We're winding down on National Poetry Month so this will be my last entry for this year of new poetry titles.
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