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The Show Girl

by Nicola Harrison

It’s 1927 when Olive McCormick leaves Minnesota seeking fame and fortune in New York City. She is determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. When Olive is hired as Ziegfeld show girl, she soon becomes a wildly popular singer and dancer. Olive enjoys her exciting city life along with her independence. When she meets Archie Carmichael, a wealthy handsome businessman, he is supportive of her career, until the couple starts talking about marriage. Archie wants children and is quite able to support a stay-at-home wife. Olive has a past she is unwilling to share with Archie and calls off their wedding.

With the stock market crash of 1929, Olive’s father is desperate. The family’s life savings and his job are gone. Archie too loses everything. When Olive’s aunt May passes away long-held secrets are revealed. Fortunately, Olive reaches out to Archie and her talents, and his forgiveness allow them to move ahead with a new plan.

Surprises, romance, history and glamour await the reader of this breezy story.

~Emma

What We’re Reading Now–September edition

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Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith

This challenging and haunting debut novel straddles the line between horror and literary fiction, following three women in Vietnam in three different time periods: 1986, 2009, and 2011. In the 2011 narrative, young American ex-pat Winnie goes missing without a trace. The book is an unpredictable mash-up of Vietnamese folklore, colonial history, revenge, violence, and ghosts- all of which have something to do with Winnie’s disappearance. I have yet to finish the book, but the puzzle of these intersecting characters and timelines is intriguing and I’m looking forward to how this all comes together in the end. Nicole

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen 

The Vietnam War is coming to an end, and as Saigon is about to fall, a Captain begins to plan his General’s escape from the county.  Together, with a select few, they flee Saigon on one of the last army transports over-crowded with other refugees.  The Captain, half-French half-Vietnamese, a man of two minds, is a communist agent whose role is to observe and report back on the military cadre as they establish themselves in America.  As suspicion of a mole rises, the Captain must deflect attention away from himself at terrible costs.  This was an especially interesting and relevant contemplation of war, refugees, politics, and film considering the parallels of current events.  Trent

The Guncle by Stephen Rowley

Patrick loves his niece and nephew, but he is not prepared to be their caregiver when their mother dies and their father checks himself into rehab. A six and nine-year-old don’t really fit into his solitary actor’s life, but he’s resigned to making the best of it. He has Guncle Rules (Gay Uncle Rules) and treats for dinner. The trio stumbles through the summer not realizing how much they are all helping each other. I loved this one so much. It gave me the same feelings as The House in the Cerulean Sea-charming, delightful, and the perfect book for right now. This book was so funny I could almost forget it was, at its heart, a book about grief and loneliness. A must-read, feel-good story. Megan

Her Heart for a Compass by Sarah, Duchess of York

In 1865 London, Lady Margaret Montagu Scott is supposed to be delighted with the man her father chooses to be her husband. She is not! The night her engagement is to be announced, she runs off. Margaret’s family is embarrassed in front of 200 aristocratic guests. Her father refuses to have anything to do with her. Margaret is banished from the family and soon devotes her time and energy into helping the poor.  She heads to Ireland, America and then back to England. This is a fun gossipy tale. Emma

Something That May Shock and Discredit You by Daniel M. Lavery

Lavery’s collection of personal essays struck me with a range of emotions but mostly it had me laughing. This insightful and clever memoir switches from genres and formats with each chapter (and interludes) showcasing the author’s skill as a writer. I highly recommend the audiobook version which is read by the author. Greg

The Wonder Test by Michelle Richmond

On-leave FBI agent, Lina, and her son Rory head to Silicon Valley to clear out her recently deceased father’s house (which is in an extremely snobby and upscale neighborhood) as they are also recovering from her husband’s death. As Rory tries to adjust to life at his exclusive new school, he discovers all academics revolve around something called “The Wonder Test”, a national exam in which his school continuously places first. Students who do poorly on practice tests are required to see tutors in the evenings and on weekends, encouraged to “be sick” on exam days, and there have been some strange teen disappearances. Lina can’t help but to investigate as she attempts to make sense of this strange town and keep her son safe. Sara

Review of Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

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Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki book cover and catalog link

Shizuka Satomi, revered and feared violin instructor, is known as the Queen of Hell in the classical music world. As it turns out, the name is more apt than most people know – Shizuka made a deal with the devil to deliver seven talented, tortured souls to hell. So far, she has sent six souls to the fire, and while seeking her seventh, meets Katrina Nguyen. Katrina is a young runaway trans girl who is seeking safety and peace to play violin and be herself, and to Shizuka, is the perfect seventh soul to complete her deal. To further complicate things, Shizuka begins to fall for Lan Tran, the local donut lady who is actually an interstellar starship captain in hiding from the Galactic Empire. Lyrical and moving, Ryka Aoki’s new novel Light from Uncommon Stars surprises and delights at every turn.

This sort of mash-up should clash like discordant notes played off-key, but instead it sings like the most harmonious melody. The novel somehow combines science fiction aliens and a fantastical deal with the devil into a larger, cohesive whole, and this is only by the skill of the author. Aoki’s novel is queer, light, and witty, but with a darker edge that does not shy away from the lived experience of many trans people, with lyrical and dreamlike prose that employs extensive musical allegory. The author examines questions of identity, purpose, existence, and the ineffable beauty of music: how one person can competently play a piece of music without that spark that makes music special, and another can play like a beginner but infuse their feelings and message into the song, lighting the world on fire. For a defiantly joyful, queer meditation on family and identity, try Light from Uncommon Stars, coming out on September 28, 2021.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

Discover@rrpl.org

EmmaLeave a comment

When the Summer was Ours

Roxanne Veletzos

It’s 1943 in Sopron, Hungary when 20-year-old Eva Cesar is at her family’s country estate. Eva has her life planned out. This is her last summer of being single; she will marry Eduard, a Red Cross doctor; and she will study to become a nurse and work beside him. Things change when there is a chance encounter with Aleandro, a Romani violinist and artist. Aleandro is supporting his young brothers by performing music in the street for monetary donations.

Aleandro and Eva fall in love. When Eva’s father hears about their relationship, he beats Eva. She runs to her nanny Dora for safety. Discovering that she is pregnant, she stays with Dora for support and help in raising her daughter, Bianca. Aleandro, considered an undesirable, ends up at a Nazi concentration camp where his artistic ability saves his life. He draws portraits of the various Nazi guards and officials. On the sly he creates drawings of life at the camp.

Eventually Eva marries her doctor; she becomes a nurse; and together they raise Bianca. Aleandro doesn’t realize he has a daughter. Wherever life takes them, neither Eva or Aleandro forget each other and the summer of 1943.

Spanning decades, this is an unforgettable love story.

~Emma

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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We have some new releases picked out for you to dive in for the following week. There is an adventure, humor, romance and many more for you to enjoy!

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham  Jones – Protected by horror movies – especially the ones where the masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them, Jade Daniels, an angry, half-Indian outcast, pulls us into her dark mind when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian lake.

19 Yellow Moon Road by Fern Michaels – Maggie Spritzer and the other members of the Sisterhood investigate The Haven, a commune run by the dubious sons of a disgraced, Ponzi-scheme-running Chicago businessman in the latest novel of the series following Bitter Pill.

The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson – June Jones emerges from her shell to fight for her beloved local library, and through the efforts and support of an eclectic group of library patrons, she discovers life-changing friendships along the way.

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang – When she suddenly loses her ability to play the violin, Anna Sun must learn to listen to her heart and falls in love with a man her parents disapprove of, forcing her to choose between meeting expectations and finding happiness in who she really is.

Whiplash by Janet Dailey – Returning to the family ranch, Val Champion, whose dreams of a Hollywood acting career have become a nightmare, finds that she is no safer at home when she comes face-to-face with her first and only true love – rodeo man Casey Bozeman.

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins – Three women unknown to each other are each questioned in connection with the gruesome murder of a young man found on a London houseboat in the new novel by the New York Times best-selling author of The Girl on the Train.

You Can Run by Karen Cleveland – To get her son back, CIA analyst Jill Bailey must do something she thought she’d never do with the help of a hard-hitting journalist, forcing them both to confront their loyalties to family and country.

What the Cat Dragged in by Miranda James – Librarian Charlie Harris and his faithful feline companion, Diesel, have inherited Charlie’s grandfather’s house, along with a deadly legacy: a decades-old crime scene, in an all-new mystery in the New York Times best-selling Cat in the Stacks series.

The Education of Nevada Duncan Carl Weber & C. N. Phillips – Heir to the Duncan and Zuniga crime family fortunes, Nevada Duncan must attend the world’s most elite school for the children of underworld figures where he learns the importance of friendship as an enemy lurks in the shadows who wants what Nevada has.

The Last Guests J. P. Pomare – A wife finds herself racing for answers when the decision to rent out her family vacation home takes a deadly turn.

Revelator by Daryl Gregory – Returning to the backwoods of Tennessee for her grandmother’s funeral, and to check on Sunny, a mysterious 10-year-old girl her grandmother adopted, professional bootlegger Stella soon discovers that Sunny is a direct link to her buried past and her family’s destructive faith.

The Devil You Know by Kit Rocha – Maya, genetically engineered for genius and trained for revolution, vows to stop an operation trading in genetically enhanced children with the help of Gray, who, unable to escape the time bomb in his head, has found his purpose in his final days – keeping Maya safe.

~Semanur

Discover@RRPL.org

EmmaLeave a comment

Three Words for Goodbye

by Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb

It’s 1937 when Clara and Madeleine Sommers are invited to their grandmother’s estate. Violet wants the young women to deliver three farewell letters: one to Paris, one to Venice, and one to Vienna. (Violet hasn’t seen these people since she left Europe 40+ years ago.) The two sisters do not like each other much and haven’t spoken in a year. Still they are willing to fulfill their grandmother’s dying wish. Clara has been busy planning her wedding to millionaire businessman Charles Hancock but is excited about the art she will see. Journalist Maddie is anxious to travel to Europe to witness the growing threat of Hitler and Mussolini. Violet has made first-class travel and hotel arrangements for the pair including traveling aboard the Queen Mary and the Orient Express and flying home on the Hindenburg. Everything is set for an adventure of a lifetime.

This is a story of long-held secrets revealed and family ties strengthened despite differences.

~Emma

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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

Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger – In this prequel to the acclaimed Cork O’Connor series, 12-year-old Cork stumbles upon the body of a man hanging in a tree – the first in a series of events that cause him to question everything he took for granted about his hometown, his family and himself.

The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny – When a visiting professor spreads lies so that fact and fiction are so confused it’s near impossible to tell them apart, leading to murder, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache must investigate this case as well as this extraordinary popular delusion – and the madness of crowds.

The Guide by Peter Heller – Trying to return to normalcy after a young life filled with loss, Jack takes a job as a guide for the elite Kingfisher Lodge where he, while guiding a well-known singer, discovers that this idyllic fishing lodge may be a cover for a far more sinister operation.

The Women of Troy by Pat Barker – Held captive by the victorious Greeks, one time Trojan queen Briseis, formerly Achilles’s slave, forges alliances when she can with Priam’s aged wife, the defiant Hecuba and the disgraced soothsayer Calchas, all the while shrewdly seeking her path to revenge.

The Failed Promise: Reconstruction, Frederick Douglass, and the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson by Robert S. Levine – Drawing on letters, articles and the most important African American newspaper of the time, the author recreates the conflicts that brought Frederick Douglass and the wider Black community to reject President Andrew Johnson and call for a guilty verdict in his impeachment trial.

Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis De Lafayette in the Age of Revolution by Mike Duncan – The New York Times bestselling author looks at the life of the Marquis de Lafayette, who helped fight and finance the American Revolution as well as the French Revolution and the overthrow of the Bourbon Dynasty.

Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton – After rescuing pets who had been trapped in their homes during the apocalypse, a Cheeto-loving crow, S.T., and his bloodhound bestie, Dennis, discover humanity’s last hope for survival in this follow-up to Hollow Kingdom.

The Secret Staircase by Sheila Connolly – After a body is discovered in a hidden staircase at Barton Mansion during renovations, Kate Hamilton hunts to identify this man who was murdered in 1880, and learns that digging up the past can be deadly when a second body is found.

Seeing Ghosts: A Memoir by Kat Chow – After her mother dies unexpectedly of cancer, a Chinese American writer and journalist weaves together the story of the fallout of grief that follows her extended family as they emigrate from China and Hong Kong to Cuba and America.

The Second Rebel by Linden A. Lewis – Astrid seeks to bring down the Sisterhood from within, while, on an outlaw colony station deep in space, Hiro val Akiro seeks to bring a dangerous ally into the rebellion, and Lito sol Lucious continues to grow into his role as lead revolutionary.

~semanur

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EmmaLeave a comment

Tender is the Bite

by Spencer Quinn

Chet is the star in the 11th entry in the Chet and Bernie mystery series. Every smell, every sound, every event, and every person are described from Chet’s perspective. This is a tale of missing persons, murder and organized crime linked to a political candidate. For comic relief a ferret, named Griffie, makes an appearance that is not appreciated by Chet. Griffie adores Bernie which Chet cannot tolerate.

I have included a list of the books in the “Chet and Bernie” mystery series. This is a fun series for dog lovers. Chet has so much personality and so much respect for his owner Bernie. I recommend reading the books in order of publication.

Chet and Bernie Mystery series

  1. Dog on It – 2009
  2. Thereby Hangs a Tail – 2009
  3. To Fetch a Thief – 2010
  4. The Dog who knew too Much – 2011
  5. A Fistful of Collars – 2012
  6. The Sound and the Furry – 2013
  7. Paw and Order – 2014
  8. Scents and Sensibility – 2015
  9. Heart of Barkness – 2019
  10. Of Mutts and Men – 2020
  11. Tender is the Bite – 2021

Still to come in 2021 –

 12. It’s a Wonderful Woof

~Emma