Debut Author

Book Review: Shutter

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A forensic photographer who works for the Albuquerque police, Rita Todacheene is good at capturing what others don’t see, through the lens of her cameras. Not only does she have a keen photographer’s eye that helps cops solve the toughest crimes, but she also has a special talent –Rita can see dead people. As a young girl, her only friends were often such ghosts, but the first time Rita confessed this, she was mostly ostracized by her fellow Navajos on the Reservation. Now she knows to keep her “gift” quiet.

While she can usually block out her visions, after Rita photographs the particularly brutal scene of a supposed suicide, the victim’s enraged ghost, Erma, begins to full-on haunt Rita. Erma insists that her death was murder, forcing Rita on a quest to find her killers and avenge her death. Unbeknownst to Rita, investigating this case gets her the wrong kind of attention from Albuquerque’s most dangerous drug cartel and the crooked cops who work for them.

Shutter by Ramona Emerson was longlisted for the 2022 National Book Award for Fiction. Not only is this a suspenseful debut crime novel, it is also a compelling coming of age tale, as Rita’s Indigenous upbringing and the history of her visions are revealed in flashbacks along the way. Filled with non-stop action, grisly descriptions of violent crime scenes and corpses, and plenty of not-so-friendly ghosts, this truly original blend of mystery and the supernatural might be just the change of pace you are looking for. And good news –its sequel, Exposure, will be published in October 2024.

-Carol



My Year of Book Abundance – Top 10 of ’23

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After a couple of years of feeling distracted and disengaged from reading, this year delivered a bounty of titles that monopolized my imagination and stretched some brain cells in the process. I’m sad to only get to share 10 (so I added a few more – don’t tell). Also, if you notice an Irish theme, it’s been that kind of year.

Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor: This is the first of a trilogy about history and power and greed in India. It’s an amazingly thrilling ride.

Goodbye Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of a Divided Land by Jacob Mikanowski: I loved the way it was written through themes, like myth and religion, peoples and cultures, and politics.

Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry: A devastating portrait of the effect of trauma through generations set in Ireland. Crazy beautiful writing.

Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens: An old-fashioned western that’s not so old-fashioned. A scrappy young girl finds work in a brothel and finds friendship and romance in the process. The Wild West through a new lens.

Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck: Erpenbeck’s a contemporary German author – this novel is set in East Germany right before the fall of the Berlin Wall and centers on the relationship between a young woman and an older man – the disintegration of their relationship mirrors the ruin of East Germany. So good.

Foster by Claire Keegan: a moving novella that captures a young girl’s summer spent as a foster at her aunt and uncle’s. Coming from a poor Irish family with siblings galore, it was a special time where she was doted on and made to feel special.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray: This was my favorite of all I think. Another Irish author, Murray dissects the fall of a family through the voices of all the members – we get to know their histories, motivations, and desires. Each voice is unique and the writing is incredible. It’s long, but it’s worth it.

The Fraud by Zadie Smith: Smith’s first work of historical fiction tells the story of a trial in 19th Century Britain. Told through the eyes of a housekeeper and cousin of a famous writer, we also travel to the sugar plantations of Jamaica and learn about the lives of the people living as slaves there. It’s worth it for that alone.

North Woods by Daniel Mason: This one is about a house in New England, as told by various residents over the years. There’s an apple farm, a catamount, a seer, and an artist, among others.

The Maniac by Benjamin Labatut: A novel about the life of a Hungarian scientist, a genius who worked on the atomic bomb and computers, and whose insight led to AI. Told from the perspectives of his friends, wives, and co-workers, it’s a frightening look at the responsibilities of science.

Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang: I listened to this audiobook and it was weird, and sensual, and made me slightly more hopeful for life after climate crises.

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue: Yes, another Irish title, this one a little less literary, but no less moving. It really captured early 20s friendship and it made me laugh out loud!

Bonus with no image: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Suntanto: I listened to this one – and it was funny and clever, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

~ Dori

What We’re Reading Now- Summer Edition

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Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt 

The story centers around Tova, a widow and night janitor at an aquarium; Cameron, a young man looking for his long-lost parents; and Marcellus, a wily octopus with a penchant for escaping his tank.  These characters paths cross suddenly and unexpectedly.  An interesting novel about finding closure and clarity after loss.  Bonus- full of interesting facts about octopi! Lisa 

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher 

“After archaeoentomologist Sam Montgomery’s dig gets put on hold, she drives to her deceased grandmother’s house in rural North Carolina to spend some time with her mom. The vulture waiting for her on the mailbox doesn’t seem like a good omen, nor does the strange absence of insect life; her mother’s anxious, odd behavior; or Sam’s new, mysterious bouts of sleep paralysis. Sam digs into her family history in the hopes of discovering medical information and scientific explanations for the weirdness—but instead she finds deeply buried horrors that are out to destroy Sam and her mother.” Linnea 

All-Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madievsky 

Poet Madievsky’s debut novel follows an unnamed narrator’s meandering mishaps in the LA bar scene as she continually tries and fails to free herself from the toxic sisterhood and intergenerational trauma that, ironically, seem to be all she has.     Annelise 

Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo 

Wandering cleric Chih returns in the third adventure in the Singing Hills Cycle, this time taking a journey into the wild riverlands. Accompanied by a motley crew of fellow travelers who may be more than they seem, Chih learns that there is always more than one side to a story. A feminist, wuxia-inspired fantasy from prolific author Nghi Vo. Shannon 

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing

Wes and Ivy were almost the picture-perfect couple in college, moved in together after graduation, and slowly small irritants became big issues causing them to part ways, so began their cycle of breaking up and making up. And then Ivy reported a stalker to the police, with Wes as the prime suspect. Considering their past relationship, could Ivy’s concerns be true, or did she just go too far in the troublesome game they like to play.  If you enjoyed Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and you don’t mind deeply narcissistic characters, this was a fabulously wild ride! Enjoy!! Stacey 

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue.  


Rachel and James become fast friends working at a bookstore in Cork during the Irish recession. Young and broke, they decide to move in together, chasing love and lust as you can only do in your early 20s. When James falls for Dr. Burns, Rachel’s English professor, hiding the secret threatens to ruin their dreams. Laugh out loud funny, touching, and really well-written, it’s a delight that you won’t want to end. Dori 

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

August Salt vowed never to return to Saorise Island off the coast of Washington state, but his mother’s last wishes changed that. He returned to the place where his first love, Emery, still lives, and where he is still suspected of the murder of a teenage girl and hated by most of the residents. He intends to spread his mother’s ashes and be on the ferry back to the mainland as soon as possible, but the island, an ancient place full of secrets and forces that some of the stronger women can tap into, has different ideas. August must face Emery, who he has never stopped loving, the murder, and the evil secrets that run deep in Saorise while fighting to survive. Sara

Quietly Hostile Essays by Samantha Irby 


The most recent collection of essays from writer Samantha Irby does not disappoint. Quietly Hostile. Irby shares her wide range of experiences; everything from writing for the HBO Just like That to challenges to adopting a dog during the pandemic. Another hilarious collection from Samantha Irby. Greg 

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H (memoir) 

A queer, Muslim, coming of age story about never fully being accepted in any community until they find the strength to make their own community. Christine

Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens 

In this traditional Western, Bridget finds herself, her queer sexuality, and her destiny.  Christine 

Book Review : Go As a River

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After the death of her mother, Torie Nash, a teenager in the 1940s, runs the household on her family’s successful peach farm in Iola, Colorado. Torie’s life is consumed by backbreaking work and caring for her father, brother and uncle, until her head is turned by drifter Wilson Moon, a Native American displaced from his tribal land. Torie is drawn to Wilson’s unique perspective and beauty, but soon discovers that the small-minded neighbors in her small town don’t appreciate people who are different – or those who associate with them. When tragedy occurs, Torie makes a decision that will that forever change the course of her life.

Based on a true historical event––the intentional flooding and destruction of the town of Iola, Colorado, Go As a River by Shelley Read explores the ideas of home, racism and the loss of childhood and innocence. Set against the often-harsh landscape of mountains and forests that eventually become Torie’s home, this beautifully descriptive and sometimes heartbreaking novel will be enjoyed by fans of Where the Crawdads Sing. Place your hold today.

-Carol

Celebrating Women’s History Month

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There are so many wonderful, new books being published but since it is still Women’s History Month, I wanted to focus on…women authors! I’ve created a list of a few recently published books by debut women authors to continue our celebration of Women’s History Month. From witches to thrillers to family strife, we’ve got it covered.  

Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah 

“When his wife, unable to handle the demands of motherhood and feeling the dreams she had slipping away once again, disappears, leaving their toddler son behind, Sam finds his vision for their future shattered, in this heartrending love story that explores what happens after a marriage collapses.” 

Such Pretty Flowers by K. L. Cerra 

“A woman investigating her brother’s apparent suicide finds herself falling for her prime suspect—his darkly mysterious girlfriend—in this edgy Southern gothic thriller.” 

Weyward by Emilia Hart 

“Told over five centuries through three connected women, this riveting novel follows Kate, in 2019, as she seeks refuge in Weyward Cottage; Altha, in 1619, as she uses her powers to maintain her freedom; and Violet, in 1942, as she searches for the truth about her mother’s death.”  

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson 

“A funny, sharply observed novel of family, wealth, love and tennis, this zeitgeisty debut follows three women in an old Brooklyn Heights clan: one who was born with money, one who married into it, and one, the millennial conscience of the family, who wants to give it all away. Rife with the indulgent pleasures of affluent WASPS in New York and full of recognizable if fallible characters, it’s about the peculiar unknowability of someone else’s family, about the haves and have-nots and the nuances in between, and the insanity of first love-Pineapple Street is a scintillating, wryly comic novel of race, class, wealth and privilege in an age that disdains all of it.” 

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez 

“A powerful debut novel follows a Puerto Rican family in Staten Island who discovers their long missing sister is potentially alive and cast on a reality TV show, and they set out to bring her home.”

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden 

“In 1852, young widow Margaret Lennox, taking a position as governess to an only child at an isolated country house in the West of England, starts to feel that something isn’t quite right and, as her past threatens to catch up with her, she learns the truth behind the secrets of Hartwood Hall.”

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes 

“Seven years after the mysterious death of her best friend, Aubrey, Maya comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman dies in front of the same man Aubrey did, leading her back to a New England cabin to finally uncover a truth that could save her.”  

-Linnea 

Celebrating Black Authors 

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There are innumerable Black authors that have impacted, influenced, and informed the landscape of literature—Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker, Ralph Ellison, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and many more prolific, important people.

For Black History Month, I want to highlight some Black authors that published their debuts in 2022 and 2023.  

Jackal by Erin E. Adams 10/2022 

A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white Rust Belt town. But she’s not the first-and she may not be the last…  

It’s watching. 

Promise Boys by Nick Brooks (1/2023) 

In Brooks’ YA debut, three prep school students are accused of murdering their high school principal. The boys team up to find the real killer before it’s too late. 

Stories from the Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Fofana (8/2022) 

This collection of short stories follows each tenant in the Banneker Homes, a low-income high rise in Harlem where gentrification weighs on everyone’s mind, as they weave in and out of each other’s lives, endeavoring to escape from their pasts and forge new paths forward. 

Maame by Jessica George (1/2023) 

A young British Ghanaian woman navigates her 20s and finds her place in the world. 

Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey (10/2022) 

Rooted in spiritual energy and centered in black liberation, womanism and Afrofuturism, the founder of The Nap Ministry sheds new light on our troubled relationship with rest and how to imagine and dream our way to a future where rest is exalted – and a divine human right. 

Sink: A Memoir by Joseph Earl Thomas (2/2023) 

In a series of exacting and fierce vignettes, the author, who found salvation in geek culture, takes readers through the unceasing cruelty of his impoverished childhood toward an understanding of what it means to lose the desire to fit in and build community and love on your own terms. 

-Linnea 

Getting Cozy With Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

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Viv is ready to hang up her sword and quit the mercenary life for something quieter-and sweeter. Armed with a legend, an artifact, and a little known Gnomish beverage, Viv sets about opening her coffee shop on a ley line in Thune. Her new venture attracts a motley cast of characters, including a baker, a business-minded succubus, and the head of the local mob.

This book is as comforting as a latte and a warm cinnamon roll on a wintery day. Having spent nearly a decade working in coffee shops myself, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Viv’s shop open and evolve. I savored the pages dedicated to the pure joy of a cinnamon roll. I laughed each time Thandri had to change the chalkboard menu and delighted in meeting their customers. While this does take the better half of the book, it’s not all coffee and sweets. As Viv and her crew learn the ropes of the business, trouble is quietly brewing. But Viv isn’t just building a business-she’s building a community and family who have her back when tragedy strikes.

I cannot stress enough how absolutely charming and delightful this book is. If you enjoy a good slice of life story with quirky characters and happy ending, this one is for you. I recommend taking this book to a local coffee shop to be enjoyed with a latte.

Happy Reading!

Megan

What we’re reading now…..

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Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng 

 In the dystopian world of Celeste Ng’s latest novel, books are banned, children are re-homed, and Asian Americans are outcasts. Amidst it all, twelve-year old Bird is left with a handful of memories of his mother. Her presence and poetry have faded from his life, but a familiar image sparks his curiosity and forces him to revisit her disappearance. Melinda

The Making of Her by Bernadette Jiwa

Raised in a Dublin housing estate by an alcoholic father toward the end of the 1940s, Joan and her sister had to grow up fast. Working in a factory by age fourteen it made sense she would find the love of her life at eighteen. Martin Egan, son of a successful business owner, promised Joan the world until she became pregnant and he persuaded her to place the baby up for adoption. Thirty years later when their secret child makes contact, how will they each respond? Family relationships are seen from the women’s perspective and as we get to know the characters better, we understand how difficult and limited their choices truly were, making Joan, in particular, even more endearing. If you enjoy spending time with interesting characters, this is the book for you! Stacey

Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid

A sheltered wizard’s daughter falls in love with a ballet dancer while a monster stalks the streets and the bodies of brutalized men appear all over the city. A reimagining of the classic fairy tale “The Juniper Tree.” Shannon

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher 

Marra is a princess on a quest to save her sister with the help of a reluctant grave-witch and a dog she creates out of bone and wire. Along the way, their party grows, with the addition of Marra’s fairy godmother, whose blessings turn out to be curses and a loveable disgraced knight, whose heart is in desperate need of rescuing. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher is an adult, revenge-filled fairy-tale that is equal parts action-packed, humorous, and original – a perfect feminist fantasy novel.  Carol

The Divorce Colony:  How Women Revolutionized Marriage and Found Freedom on the American Frontier by April White

In the 19th century, Sioux Falls, SD, became a haven for women seeking a divorce. Among the laxest laws in the country, women came from all the States and Europe to gain their freedom during a time that women had few rights. The book explores not only the  social drama but political and religious drama, while telling detailed and entertaining stories of the women who took hold of their futures. Christine

Murder in the Park by Jeanne M. Dams

This story takes place in 1925 in Oak Park, an affluent suburb of Chicago. Elizabeth Fairchild is a close friend of Mr. Anthony, owner of a quaint antique store. Mr. Anthony is found stabbed to death and the local police think they have the killer. Elizabeth and a few others, including Mrs. Hemingway are certain the police have arrested the wrong man. At this point in the story the search is on for the real killer. Please stay tuned… Emma

The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo

In post-WWII Japan, Detective Kindaichi is called and warned that the reading of a local magnate’s will is certain to set off a series of murders. Though skeptical of the prognostication, Detective Kindaichi travels to the small town and awaits the reading. However, immediately upon his arrival, he is witness to a life-threatening accident that portends the danger to the magnate’s family yet to come. The detective must first uncover the family secrets to unravel the mystery. Trent

The Winners by Fredrik Backman

The final installment in the Beartown trilogy, about the resilient and closely knit community that puts hockey above all else. Taking place over two weeks, Beartown residents must prove their love for each other and for their town, struggling to move on from the past in the wake of numerous changes. Told in Backman’s signature reflective style, it’s hard to put this one down. Linnea

Dirt Creek by Hayley Scrivenor

When a 12-year-old girl goes missing in a rural Australian town during the worst heat wave in decades, tempers flare and townspeople with skeletons in their closets, and long histories together, begin to fall apart, and also to come together to search for the young girl. Kept me guessing for quite awhile. Sara