Book Review: End of Story

MelindaLeave a comment

Reclusive mystery novelist Sebastian Trapp doesn’t have long to live. And before he goes, he’s bound and determined to tell his own story. Enter Nicky Hunter, a detective fiction enthusiast he’s selected to craft his personal memoir. Nicky travels to Sebastian’s stately San Francisco mansion to immerse herself in the daily life of the household: Sebastian, the acclaimed novelist, his artistic second wife, Diana, his doting nephew, Freddy, his adult daughter, Madeleine, and the illustrious sidekick Watson the dog.

As Nicky attempts to uncover Sebastian’s life story, one secret is raised again and again- Sebastian’s biggest secret, over twenty years old. On New Year’s Eve in 1999 his first wife and son disappeared without a trace. No bodies have been found, but no proof of life has been found either. It’s something out of one of Sebastian’s own mystery novels. But it’s a case he hasn’t solved.

This book felt a little slow to start, but as Nicky explores the creaking San Francisco mansion, the plot thickens and really grabs your attention in the last third. Multiple first person narrators add intrigue and blend the past as callbacks to the golden age of detective mysteries are peppered throughout. The desire to find out whodunit kept me reading. If you’re a fan of books about books, you’ll enjoy the literary references!

Request a copy here.

Happy reading!

-Melinda

Readalikes for Bridgerton Fans

MelindaLeave a comment

Photo by Katelyn Greer on Unsplash

Dearest gentle reader, are you missing the activities of the ton? If you sped through season 3 of Netflix’s popular Bridgerton series and are left wanting more, try these readalikes. While they may not read quite like Lady Whistledown’s society papers, drama, dancing, and debutantes await! Brew a cup of tea and settle in with one of these regency-era romances.

Click on the title to request the print book, or check out the digital collection.

Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday

The annual trip that Archie takes with his BFFs Simon and Effie holds a sacred spot in their calendars. This year Archie is especially eager to get away until an urgent letter arrives from an old family friend, begging him to help prevent a ruinous scandal.

Aphrodite and the Duke by J. J. McAvoy

Aphrodite Du Bell has always resented her name. While the members of the ton, and even the queen herself, praise her warm brown skin, perfect curls, and exquisite features, Aphrodite can’t help but think that living up to the literal goddess of beauty is asking a bit much.

Hot Earl Summer by Erica Ridley

Elizabeth Wynchester adores vanquishing villains with the sharp blade concealed inside her cane. Despite others’ opinions about her body and gender, nothing will stop her from seeing justice done. When her next mission drops her at the dastardly Earl of Densmore’s castle, she’s prepared to duel like gentlemen–only to be locked inside!

A Gamble at Sunset by Vanessa Riley

Georgina Wilcox, a wallflower with hidden musical talents, is furious when her reclusive older sister-the recently widowed Viscountess-refuses sorely needed help from the Duke of Torrance, the only gentleman who has shown kindness to the bereft Wilcox sisters.

Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall

Peggy Delancey’s not at all ready to move on from her former flame, Arabella Tarleton. But Belle has her own plans for a love match, and she needs Peggy’s help to make those plans a reality. Still hung up on her feelings and unable to deny Belle what she wants, Peggy reluctantly agrees to help her woo the famous and flamboyant opera singer Orfeo.

Unladylike Rules of Attraction by Amita Murray

Anya Marleigh is a singer and sitar player in Queen Charlotte’s court. She is left a fortune by Dowager Countess Budleigh, one of her elderly clients who used to hire her for musical evenings. But there is a condition attached. Anya must marry before her next birthday if she wants to see any of the fortune.

The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain

Diana Boyle, a wealthy young widow, has no desire to ever marry again. Particularly not to someone who merely wants her for her fortune. So when she discovers that she’s listed in a directory of rich, single women she is furious, and rightly so. She confronts Maxwell Dean, the man who published the Bachelor’s Directory, and is horrified to find he is far more attractive than his actions have led her to expect.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

Abandoned by his father, Gareth Inglis grew up lonely, prickly, and well-used to disappointment. Still, he longs for a connection. When he meets a charming stranger, he falls head over heels-until everything goes wrong and he’s left alone again. Then Gareth’s father dies, turning the shabby London clerk into Sir Gareth, with a grand house on the remote Romney Marsh and a family he doesn’t know.

Happy reading!

-Melinda

Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

Ryan DickersonLeave a comment

Part Three- 1935 The Parts That Really Matter. Chapters Nine, Ten, Eleven, and Twelve.

In this part, we really start to see some storylines coming together. The goal stated on January 14th of 1935 declared they would forgo normal training with hopes to go to the Olympics the following year. This sets a different tone as these rowers have in the span of a year gone from fighting for a spot on the freshman team to working towards becoming Olympic champions. We really don’t hear much about what the boys and Joe were thinking about this other than their stress. We see their struggle from the perspective of Ulbrickson and his personal struggle. As much as he wanted to recapture the magic from the Poughkeepsie freshman race of the previous year, the sophomore team just wasn’t predictable. I’ve had problems, particularly with machines where sometimes they’ll work and other times they won’t. I understand to some extent the frustration of seeing the sophomores row well sometimes and other times struggle to keep up with the older students.

The buildup and the excitement for the races in this part are exhilarating. With the sophomores assigned to the varsity boat, they consistently win the races. They don’t consistently beat the older boys though. So when it comes to this year’s competition at Poughkeepsie, the older boys get to race as the varsity only to lose. The older boys lose the varsity race at Poughkeepsie and lose the 2000 meter exhibition run. With 2000 meters being the Olympic length, it must have really hurt their morale. The University of Washington seemed to have the raw talent, but they struggled to create a proper team to prove they deserved a shot at the Olympics.

Joe’s personal life is still very tumultuous at this point. Joe finds where his family has been living, is rejected by Thula again, secretly visits his siblings, Thula dies, and his father suggests they live together again. Joe’s personal life feels like a whirlwind. It’s hard to imagine being a young man with all this family drama, struggling to pay for your tuition, and still managing to find time to be on the crew team as well as date Joyce. We get a better understanding of the other boys on the crew team as Joe sees them in a more humanizing light outside of crew. Joe starts to develop a connection with George Pocock as the new year of training begins in the fall.

Both in the United States and in Germany, the Nazi problem is becoming more and more apparent. Jewish people are losing their rights as their society turns against them. Americans vote on whether to boycott the Olympics, but the vote fails. The people sent to Germany to see the Olympic facilities are fooled. Brundage manages to fool the public by saying he is an advocate for the Jewish people, yet using arguments to minimize their suffering and doubt themselves. This book paints a vivid picture of the manipulations that were happening at the time.

Discussion questions for Part Three:

What did you think of the excitement of the California races with the sophomores appointed as varsity as well as the upset JV team? Do you think the results would have been different if the older boys had raced the California varsity?

Have you ever had a moment like Joe had after the California race where you felt truly celebrated for your accomplishments?

Let us know how your thoughts! Come to one, or both, of our All Ages Book Discussion:

Tuesday, July 23, 7:00-8:00pm in the Green Room at the Library OR Tuesday, July 30, 10:30-11:30am at the Rocky River Senior Center at 21014 Hilliard Blvd.

Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

staceyLeave a comment

Part Two – 1934 Resiliency Chapters Six, Seven, and Eight

And on we go to the next three chapters!!

The author’s ability to take small, seemingly unimportant moments and turn them into something that feels like a Dramatic Moment makes it hard to put this book down (imho). Take for example the unexpected race between the freshman and varsity boats coming in from practice (page 85), and readers can almost see the wheels start turning in Coach Ulbrickson’s mind. Figuring out how to get the same response on a regular basis, is it the day or is it the mix of rowers or is something intangible? And how can his team keep up with the other West Coast teams University of Washington needs to defeat before they can move onto the East Coast teams? All of this is giving us a better perspective on what challenges lay ahead for our Boys in the Boat, while also keeping us on the edge of our seats..

Possible questions for discussion from Part Two:

1. Do you think Ky Ebright was right to complain about George Pocock? If you were Mr. Pocock, how would you have responded?

2. Now that you’re more acquainted with how small differences in the shell, oars, and the positions people are assigned, what do you think made the University of Washington’s Freshman Team so successful? What position do you think you’d be assigned? 

3. Did you know how long the high temperatures and drought conditions were present in the 1930s? What kind of daily impact do you think that had on the people of the Midwest and Great Plains? How do you think it affected the people we’ve met in this book?

4. Were you surprised to find out where Harry and Thula wound up? What would you have done if you were Joe?

5. Part two is focused on the resiliency of people, and also a little bit on the Western red cedar too. Did you know how much the materials going into the equipment would matter? Are you feeling inspired to start building anything out of the native plants found in Ohio? 🙂 

6. Will you be watching the 2024 Paris Olympics Rowing Competition, starting on July 27th? You have time, so why not get to know US Rowing Eight+ boat class Teams before the games begin!

Let us know how your thoughts! Come to one, or both, of our All Ages Book Discussion:

Tuesday, July 23, 7:00-8:00pm in the Green Room at the Library OR Tuesday, July 30, 10:30-11:30am at the Rocky River Senior Center at 21014 Hilliard Blvd.

See you in just a few weeks! -Stacey

Summer Scares

MelindaLeave a comment

Photo by Melanie Wasser on Unsplash

Summer is in full swing! Step aside beach reads, scary summer stories are hitting the shelves hard this season. Here are a selection of horror titles from legendary authors and newcomers alike. Whether you like to read with the lights on or surround yourself in spooky vibes, this summer has a book for you!

House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias

A group of young men seek vengeance after one of their mothers is murdered in a Puerto Rican slum;

Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue

A 29-year-old copywriter realizes that beauty is possible–at a terrible cost–in this surreal, satirical send-up of NYC It-girl culture.

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick.

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

A chilling horror novel about a haunting, told from the perspective of a young girl whose troubled family is targeted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy.” 

How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive by Craig DiLouie

A famous 80s slasher director sets out to shoot the most terrifying horror movie ever made using an occult camera that might be (and probably is) demonic.

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

Misha knows that chasing success in Hollywood can be hell.
But finally, after years of trying to make it, his big moment is here: an Oscar nomination.

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her Appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her dreams, horrifying… yet enticing.

Pink Slime by Fernanda Trias

In a city ravaged by a mysterious plague, a woman tries to understand why her world is falling apart. Inland, a secretive corporation churns out the only food anyone can afford–a revolting pink paste.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

A man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend–and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.

If you enjoy reading all things spooky and scary, check out our upcoming book discussion, Reading in the Dark. For more details, click here: https://events.rrpl.org/event/10328357

Happy reading!

-Melinda

Book Review: Youthjuice

MelindaLeave a comment

Gut healing supplements, anti-aging night cremes, and questionable wellness practices lie at the heart of youthjuice. Imagine a world where Devil Meets Prada is crossed with Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop and you’ve got HEBE, a fictional luxury wellness company run by New York City it girl Tree Whitestone. When Sophia lands herself a job on the Storytelling team at HEBE, she’s ready to embrace the cult of wellness with open arms. Living in the shadow of a beauty blogger roommate, the radiating youthful glow of the interns and employees at HEBE call out to Sophia as she tries to blend into the world of colonics, concoctions, and connection. When Tree offers Sophia a tester of HEBE’s newest moisturizing product, youthjuice, Sophia jumps at the chance to prove her loyalty. Especially when the moisturizer gives her painful (and shameful) nail-bitten hands new life. But with all things, HEBE’s glittering facade might just be hiding a darker underworld…and Sophia’s about to dive right in.

Former beauty editor E.K. Sathue takes the reader on a journey into beauty culture that is sure to delight fans of the horror genre. This campy yet cunning exploration of the body horror subgenre could be a bit of a queasy-filled journey, but ultimately the world of pseudo-wellness lures you back. Readers will relate to Sophia’s desire to balance the all-consuming need to get ahead with her moral compass. This book is great for anyone who likes a little gore with their glam.

youthjuice comes out on June 4. Request a copy here.

Happy reading!

*I received a review copy from Soho Press and Edelweiss. This is my honest review. 

-Melinda

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

Here are some of the new books coming to our shelves this week for you to add to your book list!

MIND GAMES

With the ability to see into minds and souls, Thea, who brought her parents’ killer to justice years ago, discovers the inmate who shattered her childhood has the same ability when she can hear his twisted thoughts and witness his evil acts from miles away as he plots his revenge.

YOU LIKE IT DARKER

Delving into the darker part of life—both metaphorical and literal, the legendary storyteller and expert in short fiction presents this exhilarating collection of 12 tales, many never-before-published, about fate, mortality, luck and the folds in reality where anything can happen.

ONE PERFECT COUPLE

Landing on a tropical paradise where they’ll compete against four other couples to win a cash prize, Lyla and Nico, starring on the new reality TV show, One Perfect Couple, find themselves trapped on a storm-swept island where they all must band together for survival as a killer walks among them.

LIES AND WEDDINGS

Forced to attend his sister’s wedding to seduce a woman with money and get his family out of debt, Rufus, the future Earl of Greshambury, finds their plans and their reputation going up in flames when a secret tryst and tragedy become known, revealing a shocking twist.

THE LAST MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD

On an isolated island where 122 villagers and three scientists live in peaceful harmony, one of the scientists is found brutally murdered, which triggers a security system, giving the islanders only 107 hours to solve the murder or be smothered by the fog that destroyed the planet.

THE GUNCLE ABROAD

With his brother getting remarried in Italy, Patrick takes his niece and nephew back under his wing, and as they travel through Europe, he tries his best to help them understand love, while dealing with a groom with cold feet, his over-flirtatious sister and other disasters.

PATTON’S PRAYER

The New York Times best-selling author of Against All Odds takes us back to December 1944 where General George Patton, a devout Christian in desperate need of a miracle, printed and distributed a prayer to the 250,000 men under his command to help turn the tide of the war.

DEATH BEHIND EVERY DOOR

Posing as a tourist, an FBI special agent visits a Scottish castle that’s been turned into a bed and breakfast to infiltrate a society of twisted killers named after the man believed to be America’s first serial killer.

~Semanur

Memoirs for May: AAPI Heritage Month

MelindaLeave a comment

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month, celebrating the more than 20 million people who are part of the AAPI community. The month of May was selected in commemoration of the immigration of the first Japanese people to the United States in May 1843 as well as the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869.

In celebration of AAPI stories, here are memoirs written by members of the AAPI community available in our collection. Click on the title to request the print book, or check our digital offerings for more options.

Owner of a Lonely Heart by Beth Nguyen

At the end of the Vietnam War, when Beth Nguyen was eight months old, she and her family fled Saigon for America. Only Beth’s mother stayed–or was left–behind, and they did not meet again until Beth was nineteen. Over the course of her adult life, she and her mother have spent less than twenty-four hours together. A memoir about parenthood, absence, and the condition of being a refugee.

The Worlds I See by Dr. Fei-Fei Li

Known to the world as the creator of ImageNet, a key catalyst of modern artificial intelligence, Dr. Li has spent more than two decades at the forefront of the field. But her career in science was improbable from the start. As immigrants, her family faced a difficult transition from China’s middle class to American poverty. And their lives were made all the harder as they struggled to care for her ailing mother, who was working tirelessly to help them all gain a foothold in their new land.

Stay True by Hua Hsu

In the eyes of eighteen-year-old Hua Hsu, the problem with Ken–with his passion for Dave Matthews, Abercrombie & Fitch, and his fraternity–is that he is exactly like everyone else. Ken, whose Japanese American family has been in the United States for generations, is mainstream; for Hua, the son of Taiwanese immigrants, who makes ‘zines and haunts Bay Area record shops, Ken represents all that he defines himself in opposition to. The only thing Hua and Ken have in common is that, however they engage with it, American culture doesn’t seem to have a place for either of them.

A Man of Two Faces by Viet Thanh Nguyen

With insight, humor, formal invention, and lyricism, in A Man of Two Faces Viet Thanh Nguyen rewinds the film of his own life. He expands the genre of personal memoir by acknowledging larger stories of refugeehood, colonization, and ideas about Vietnam and America, writing with his trademark sardonic wit and incisive analysis, as well as a deep emotional openness about his life as a father and a son.

Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant by Curtis Chin

Nineteen eighties Detroit was a volatile place to live, but above the fray stood a safe haven: Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine, where anyone–from the city’s first Black mayor to the local drag queens, from a big-time Hollywood star to elderly Jewish couples–could sit down for a warm, home-cooked meal. Here was where, beneath a bright-red awning and surrounded by his multigenerational family, filmmaker and activist Curtis Chin came of age; where he learned to embrace his identity as a gay ABC, or American-born Chinese.

All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung

Nicole Chung was born severely premature, placed for adoption by her Korean parents, and raised by a white family in a sheltered Oregon town. From childhood, she heard the story of her adoption as a comforting, prepackaged myth. She believed that her biological parents had made the ultimate sacrifice in the hope of giving her a better life, that forever feeling slightly out of place was her fate as a transracial adoptee. But as Nicole grew up-facing prejudice her adoptive family couldn’t see, finding her identity as an Asian American and as a writer, becoming ever more curious about where she came from-she wondered if the story she’d been told was the whole truth.

Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong

Binding these essays together is Hong’s theory of “minor feelings.” As the daughter of Korean immigrants, Cathy Park Hong grew up steeped in shame, suspicion, and melancholy. She would later understand that these “minor feelings” occur when American optimism contradicts your own reality–when you believe the lies you’re told about your own racial identity. Minor feelings are not small, they’re dissonant–and in their tension Hong finds the key to the questions that haunt her. 

What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo

In this deeply personal and thoroughly researched account, Foo interviews scientists and psychologists and tries a variety of innovative therapies. She returns to her hometown of San Jose, California, to investigate the effects of immigrant trauma on the community, and she uncovers family secrets in the country of her birth, Malaysia, to learn how trauma can be inherited through generations. Ultimately, she discovers that you don’t move on from trauma–but you can learn to move with it.

Happy reading!

-Melinda

The First Academy Awards

LinneaLeave a comment

Ninety-five years ago, the first Academy Awards ceremony took place in Hollywood! Vastly different from the awards show we know today, the ceremony only had 12 categories, lasted just 15 minutes, and it was the only Academy Awards to not be broadcast on television or radio. Tickets were $5 (about $90 in 2024), with plenty of fans in attendance with the celebrities.  

While we might be out of awards season, brush up on your film knowledge for next year with some movie history books: 

Best Pick: A Journey through Film History and the Academy Awards by John Dorney 

The Academy Awards: The Complete Unofficial History by Gail Kinn 

Movies (and Other Things): A Collection of Questions Asked, Answered, Illustrated by Shea Serrano 

Naked Screenwriting: Twenty-two Oscar-winning Screenwriters Bare Their Secrets to Writing by Lew Hunter 

Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears by Michael Schulman 

50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars & Filmmakers on Their Career-Defining Wins by Dave Karger 

-Linnea

From Page to Screen: Spring 2024

MelindaLeave a comment

This spring’s book to film adaptations are hitting the streaming services all season long! These limited run series take your favorite blockbuster books and turn them into six or seven episode arcs, building out the world of beloved characters from Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley to Liane Moriarty’s family of tennis pros.

If you want to compare and contrast or just love a good spoiler, pick up the book to read before you start watching! Click on the book title to request a print copy of the book, or check out Libby or Hoopla for eBook or eAudiobook offerings.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

If your mother was missing, would you tell the police? Even if the most obvious suspect was your father?This is the dilemma facing the four grown Delaney siblings. The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after fifty years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?

Streaming on Peacock.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

“Are you happy with your life?” Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the kidnapper knocks him unconscious. Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before a man he’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.” In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college professor but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Coming to AppleTV+ on May 8.

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

It is the spring of 1939 and three generations of the Kurc family are doing their best to live normal lives, even as the shadow of war grows closer. The talk around the family Seder table is of new babies and budding romance, not of the increasing hardships threatening Jews in their hometown of Radom, Poland. But soon the horrors overtaking Europe will become inescapable and the Kurcs will be flung to the far corners of the world, each desperately trying to navigate his or her own path to safety.

Streaming on Hulu.

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

The Sympathizer is a sweeping epic of love and betrayal. The narrator, a communist double agent, is a “man of two minds,” a half-French, half-Vietnamese army captain who arranges to come to America after the Fall of Saigon, and while building a new life with other Vietnamese refugees in Los Angeles is secretly reporting back to his communist superiors in Vietnam. 

Streaming on Max.

Under the Bridge by Rebecca Godfrey

In this “tour de force of crime reportage”, acclaimed author Rebecca Godfrey takes us into the hidden world of the seven teenage girls–and boy–accused of a savage murder. As she follows the investigation and trials, Godfrey reveals the startling truth about the unlikely killers. 

Streaming on Hulu.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners. Imprisoned for over two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism–but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. 

Coming to Peacock on May 2.

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Newly arrived in the heady world of Manhattan, Ripley meets a wealthy industrialist who hires him to bring his playboy son, Dickie Greenleaf, back from gallivanting in Italy. Soon Ripley’s fascination with Dickie’s debonair lifestyle turns obsessive as he finds himself enraged by Dickie’s ambivalent affections for Marge, a charming American dilettante, and Ripley begins a deadly game.

Streaming on Netflix.

-Happy reading!

Melinda