Megan’s Top Ten Books of 2022

This is the first time in a long time that I did not struggle to create this list. Upon reviewing my 2022 reads, I discovered that I was quite frugal when it came to awarding 5 stars this year. Click on the picture to see availability if you are interested in any of these.

My non-fiction 5 star reads are no surprise-I love a true crime story! I was surprised to find two poetry books and a romance on my list! My ready adventures also included relistening to the first three books in the Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy (always 5 stars from me!), devouring more volumes of Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson (if you grew up with Calvin & Hobbes, these are must reads!), and breezing through dozens of thrillers.

Happy Reading!

Megan

True Crime Book Review: Starvation Heights by Gregg Olsen

It was 1911 and wealthy spinster sisters (in their 30s!), Dora and Claire Williamson had arrived on holiday in the United States from Britain. The sisters were free-spirited heiresses with delicate constitutions. They fretted over their health and frequently sought cures for their ailments. In fact, they had been in correspondence with Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard and were excited to undergo her revolutionary fasting treatment. The sisters were disappointed that her sanatorium in the forest in Olalla, Washington was not ready for patients, but the doctor insisted they not delay their treatment. So the anxious and excited sisters rented an apartment in Seattle near Dr. Hazzard’s office and began following the prescribed regimen. The sisters were finally able to move to the new facility, but by then it was too late. Linda Hazzard had control over the Williamson’s finances as well as their minds and bodies. They were separated from each other, subjected to painful and unnecessary procedures, and they were starving. In a moment of weakness, her faith in the treatment waivered, and she reached out to their former nanny and beloved friend in Australia. Of course she dropped everything and immediately booked passage to Washington, unsure if she would arrive in time.

Deadly doctors are not a new phenomenon. Linda Hazzard was not the first medical professional to exploit her patients for her own personal gain and Dora and Claire Williamson were not her first victims. Dora and Claire were independent, intelligent women in their 30s, who if they lived today, would no doubt enjoy all of our juice bars and fad diets.

If you liked the podcast Dr. Death or The Opportunist, you will probably enjoy Starvation Heights. If you want to discuss the case with us, feel free to join us in person next week for Riverinos! We will be in the Community Room at 7pm.

True Crime Book Review

Victim F: From Crime Victims to Suspects to Victims by Denise Huskins

What happens when you are accused of fabricating the worst night of your life? How do you deal with the fact that the people meant to help you think you’re the criminal? This case is wild! With a stranger abduction, rape, mistaken identities, secret organizations, cops with tunnel vision, it’s no surprise that this case was referred to as the real life Gone Girl. Victim F follows Denise and Aaron through Denise’s abduction, the tragic aftermath, and ultimately their recovery efforts as well as lawsuits. A fantastic true crime read. 

For more True Crime content visit us on Facebook-Riverinos True Crime Discussion Group

True Crime Book Review

Deep in the Woods: The 1935 Kidnapping of Nine-year-old George Weyerhaeuser, Heir to America’s Mightiest Timber Dynasty by Bryan Johnston

As an avid consumer of all things true crime, it’s always exciting to discover "new to me" cases. The kidnapping of George Weyerhaeuser is one such case. I also enjoy these “old-timey” cases; I find the distance between myself and the time of the crime offers me a bit of an emotional break from modern cases. Anyone else feel that way? Well, Deep in the Woods does not disappoint. The crime itself was strange and frankly, fascinating, the trials stranger, and the ending, the epilogue, the strangest of all. I listened to this one thanks to Netgalley and Tantor and found the narration to be perfection that added to the enjoyment of the story. Fans of historical crimes, kidnappings, and totally bonkers cases will enjoy this one. 

Christine’s First Top Ten!

I’m not sure I can really do my 2021 reading list justice with a list of only ten books. So with some emotional support from my co-workers, and after a long talk with my cat, I was finally able to take a deep breath and chose twelve.

Reflecting over the past year, each one of these books takes me back to a time and place of extreme joy and extreme pain. Each one is a mile marker that reminds me to keep breathing, keep moving, and when all else fails- shut out the world and grab a good book.

Bingo Love by Tee Franklin: Reunited over bingo after 45 years, these two grandmothers find that their love for one another never faded. Hope, love, and realizing that it is never too late to live authentically and with all your heart!

Good Kids, Bad City by Kyle Swenson: True crime set across the decades in Cleveland, Ohio, this is the story of a still unsolved murder and the longest wrongful incarceration of three men and their fight for justice.

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera: A young woman sets out to find community and herself. What she discovers is the true meaning of intersectionality and standing in her own self-love.

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole: A thriller that is a little bit ‘Rear Window’ and a little bit mole people. Gentrification, murder, evil pharmaceutical companies, and the most unexpected heroes.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton: A fictional rock biography that spans decades that reads and feels like non-fiction. This story explores the music industry, generational trauma, sexism, and race.

The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin Kwaymulina: This short thriller is narrated by a young girl, who happens to be a ghost trying to help her father get justice for another young girl. Part murder mystery, part Australian Aboriginal tale, this story will sit with you long after you finish the book.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite: A darkly humorus story about two sisters- the beautiful and popular one and the responsible one. They have nothing in common, including how they deal with their traumatic childhood. One sister becomes a serial killer, the other learns how to clean up a crime scene.

Skye Falling by Mia MacKenzie: A Black queer woman in her 30’s enjoys her life of no attachments and no responsibilities until the 12 year old egg she donated to a friend she’s lost contact with shows up one day. You will laugh just as much as you cry while you go along for a truly amazing ride!

The Deep by Rivers Solomon: How did the mermaids in the Pacific Ocean come to be? This is their origin story. Beautifully written, Solomon speaks to community, healing, and reclaiming your identity.

The Push by Ashley Audrain: A psychological drama about motherhood, family, and murder (?) that will have you holding your breath and gasping out loud.

The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey: Three friends, affectionately called The Supremes, hold tightly to each other through decades of all that life can throw at them. All while Eleanor Roosevelt’s ghost is watching over them. Really.

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur: A young female impersonates a man in order to find her father and solve ongoing murders. Set 600 years ago in Korea, this story will pull you in and not let go until the final word.

True Crime Book Review

Without a Prayer: The Death of Lucas Leonard and How One Church Became a Cult by Susan Ashline


In October of 2015, 19-year-old Lucas Leonard was beaten to death by his parents, sister, and other members of their church. The beating was punishment for Lucas’ admission that he practiced witchcraft, wished his parent’s dead, and had committed other even worse and unspeakable crimes. Lucas’ family were members of the Word of Life Christian Church in Chadwicks, New York. The church was founded by the Irwin family, evangelical Pentacostals, lead by Jerry Irwin. Following his death, leadership transferred to his daughter, Tiffanie. It was Tiffanie who instructed the punishment of Lucas and his younger brother that fateful night.

Without a Prayer introduces readers to the Irwin family, tracing the roots of the Word of Life Church and documenting the church’s transformation from church to cult. The second part of the book follows the trials of the six members of the church indicted for the Lucas’ murder.

Because Tiffanie and her congregants documented everything, Susan Ashline had access to hours of video and audio materials, tens of thousands of text messages, and court documents to aid her reporting. The result is a horrifying and compelling story of the ascent of dangerous religious zealot. This is a must read for true crime fans and those interested in cults and cult behavior.

For more True Crime content, visit our Facebook group, Riverinos.

True Crime Addict by James Renner Review


True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray by James Renner

Investigative journalist James Renner was just eleven in 1989 when ten-year-old Amy Mihaljevic disappeared from Bay Village, Ohio. This disappearance marked the beginning of his interest and obsession with true crime. For many suburban Northeast Ohio children and teens this case was their first introduction to crime and the impact on their lives was immediate. How could something like this happen in broad daylight in a small, white, suburb? This desire for answers led Renner to a career in journalism.
Fast forward to 2011. James begins investigating the mysterious 2004 disappearance of Maura Murray, a University of Massachusetts student who vanished following a car wreck in rural New Hampshire. Maura was an athlete, a former West Point cadet, and a nursing student at UMass. On February 9 she emailed professors letting them know she would be absent for a week due to a death in the family. Later that night she was involved in a single car accident hundreds of miles away. By the time help arrived Maura was gone.
What happened to Maura Murray? The question remains unanswered today.
This case fascinated Renner and dragged him down a rabbit hole of research that took a toll on him personally. True Crime Addict is part investigative journalism, part confessions of a true crime addict.

If this case interests you, join me and Sherry next Wednesday, September 9 for a Zoom discussion.
Register here to and you will be emailed the link: http://rrpl.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails?EventId=26155&backTo=Calendar&startDate=2020/09/02

~Megan

Strange Times, New Skills

It’s been a while since I wrote a pandemic post and since I am tried of writing book reviews I thought I’d muse on the strangeness of the times again. I don’t need to tell any of you that things have changed. Our lives are so different today and I have to say, it’s not all bad. Social distancing has forced us at the library to reimagine how we offer programs to our patrons. It’s been challenging and at times uncomfortable, but reframe that discomfort as part of the growth process, you are now talking about professional development! I have picked up some new skills and gotten to think outside the box a lot over these past months. Here are a few things I am especially proud of:

Pre-Covid we had an in person cooking club, but I figured out how to make that a no-contact program. Cooking kits! Each kit included all the ingredients, a recipe, and instructions on how to properly use a knife to cut the onion and pepper. I am currently brainstorming a fall cooking kit. Any suggestions?

Pre-Covid my colleague and I had a True Crime Book Discussion Group. Early on offered to have a Zoom meeting with our regular attendees. They were not keen on the idea, but we were so excited about our book that we decided to talk about it ourselves! Interested in our discussion of Israel Keyes? Here’s the video! https://youtu.be/rXxloWLfKHA

We also created a new Facebook Group. It’s been a lot of fun interacting with patrons in this way. Feel free to join us! https://www.facebook.com/groups/riverinos/about/

Finally, the project that took the most time to complete and required me to learn new skills is my virtual escape room. I had planned to offer an in-person, after-hours escape room for our teens this summer. Instead, I had to make it all online. If you are up for a challenge, please give it a try. You can find it on the teen page of our website.

What new skills have you acquired during this pandemic?

~Megan

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

There are tons of new releases that come to our shelves every week. Here are some books we picked out for you!

Deadlock by Catherine Coulter – Targeted by a vengeful psychopath who would destroy his family, Savich receives three mysterious boxes containing clues leading to an unfamiliar community and a young wife who must confront a decades-old secret.

Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Evolution by Brian Freeman – Going rogue to investigate suspicions that the agency that trained him is responsible for his lover’s murder, Jason Bourne teams up with journalist Abbey Laurent to identify who set him up for the assassination of a congresswoman.

1st Case by James Patterson & Chris Tebbetts – Recruited into the FBI when her unorthodox programming skills get her kicked out of MIT, a computer genius tracks a killer who has been targeted young women through a sophisticated messaging app.

His & Hers by Alice Feeney – Sacrificing everything for her hard-won BBC presenter career, Anna teams up with DCI Jack Harper to investigate a childhood friend’s murder in her sleepy hometown village. By the author of I Know Who You Are.

Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir by Natasha Trethewey – The former U.S. poet laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Native Guard shares a chillingly personal memoir about the brutal murder of her mother at the hands of her former stepfather.

Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings. Ed by Ellen Datlow – A debut novella by an award-winning writer and fantasy illustrator finds a reserved young woman from a Western Queensland town receiving a mysterious note from a long-missing brother that raises supernatural questions about other family disappearances.

Relentless by R. A. Salvatore – A conclusion to the best-selling trilogy finds Zaknafien and his mercenary friend, Jarlaxle, enduring the most difficult challenges of their lives to secure the fate of Gauntlgym, before unexpected circumstances compel an uncontrollable battle against life itself.

The Aunt Who Wouldn’t Die by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay – In a U.S. release of a contemporary classic from Bangladesh, a woman marries into a traditional, once-powerful family before encountering the ghost of a vengeful child bride who would hide a dynasty-saving fortune.

The Butterfly Lampshade by Aimee Bender – Unable to explain bizarre phenomena that accompanied the most formative events of her youth, Francie reflects on how the perceptions of childhood can take on near-magical qualities that sometimes carry over into an adult world that fluctuates between realities.

Crossings by Alex Landragin – A debut in three parts designed to be read straight through or in alternating chapters finds a Jewish-German bookbinder in occupied Paris discovering links between poet Charles Baudelaire, a Walter Benjamin-like exile and a seven-generation woman monarch.

Afterland by Lauren Beukes – Fleeing west to find a safe haven in a world vastly transformed by a pandemic that has killed nearly all men, a mother disguises her son as a girl to escape dangerous adversaries, including her own sister.

When She Was Good by Michael Robotham – A sequel to Good Girl, Bad Girl finds criminal psychologist Cyrus Haven uncovering answers about Evie Cormac’s dark past that force the latter to flee and question whether or not her secrets should remain hidden.

Geometry of Holding Hands by Alexander McCall Smith – Investigating local rumors about mysterious occurrences taking place throughout Edinburgh, a skeptical Isabel finds the limits of her good sense and ethics tested by the demands of her family, including her tempestuous niece’s latest romantic entanglement.

Playing Nice by J. P. Delaney – Informed by a stranger that his son was switched at birth with another baby, Pete struggles to adjust to the needs of two families before an investigation unearths disturbing questions about the hospital and the night the exchange occurred.

The End of Her by Shari Lapena – When a woman from her husband’s past shows up and raises questions about the death of his first wife, Stephanie remains loyal to her husband until a newly opened police investigation starts eroding her trust and her marriage.

The Ultimate Betrayal by Kat Martin – When her father is implicated in the theft of millions in chemical weapons from a government depot, an investigative journalist risks her life to prove her father’s innocence and expose the true culprits.

Hell in the Heartland: Murder, Meth, and the Case of Two Missing Girls by Jax Miller – The award-winning author of Freedom’s Child describes how her investigation into the 1999 unsolved disappearance of two teens from rural Oklahoma unearthed shocking links to police corruption, regional meth addiction and an ominous pattern of murders.

To Start a War: How the Bush Administration Took America into Iraq by Robert Draper – The author of the best-selling Dead Certain examines the flawed decision-making process that went into the invasion of Iraq, citing the role of post-9/11 fear, intelligence failures and leader ideologies in hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Deal With the Devil by Kit Rocha – This is the first book in a near-future science fiction series with elements of romance. Orphan Black meets the post-apocalyptic Avengers by USA Today and New York Times bestselling author duo Kit Rocha.

You Look So Much Better in Person: True Stories of Absurdity and Success by Al Roker – The Today Show coanchor Al Roker presents an entertaining guide to achieving a life of happiness and success through the power of “yes!”. Packed to the brim with cackle inducing and cringe-worthy behind-the-scenes insights and observations from over four decades in the media, this book reminds us all that long-term success in our personal lives and our careers is just within reach.

~Semanur