Amina's Voice by Hena Khan

  Amina's Voice by Hena Khan. 2017, Salaam Reads (an imprint of Simon & Schuster4 Children's Publishing Division). Children's fiction.


  Amina and Soojin have been friends a long time. Now they are in middle school and Emily seems to want to be right between them. Amina's uncle has come to visit with her family and her  parents worry that he may think Amina's family has become too Americanized. Amina and her older brother, Mustafa, want to honor their Pakistani heritage, but also like growing up in America.  When tragedy strikes their community, it seems like the two different cultures cannot be reconciled. Will Amina find a way to keep old friends, make new friends, speak up for what she believes in, and even to use her singing talents?  


   Khan has featured a Muslim heroine in Amina and worked in details such as attempts to learn Arabic, follow the teachings of the Imam, and controversy over the Quran competition with the usual traumas and fun of being a student in Greendale Middle School. Her diverse background and strong family make Amina stronger than she ever thinks she can be.

Killters of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murgers and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

 Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and The Birth of the FBI by David Grann. Doubleday, 2017. Adult nonfiction.


There is oil in Oklahoma and in the 1920's, much of it was owned by Osage Indians. The "headrights" were passed through families, but shady people thought that the Osage were too childlike and couldn't manage their own money. So, guardians were appointed for many of the tribal people. When Mollie Burkhart's mother and two sisters are killed, it seems that Mollie may be the next target and that someone is trying to get the oil rights that belong to her family. It seems that others are also being targeted and vast amounts of money are at stake.


With over twenty-four deaths, the newly established FBI took over the investigations. The amount of corruption, cover-ups, and deliberately trying to throw them off the trail of the killers is amazing. Former Texas Ranger Tom White is put in charge and a trial that rivaled the Scopes Trial of the same era takes place. White becomes one of the heroes of the book.


David Grann has completed years of research in order to show that the killers were many more than first thought and involved more people very close to Mollie Burkhart's family than many would have believed. The last few chapters of his interviews with Native Americans whose families were destroyed by the killings show the determination and commitment that he gave to the topic. The novel is well written and he does a good job of keeping all the names and events in a comprehensible chronological timeline. The black-and-white photographs of key people and places enhance the narrative. This is a much needed look at a long ago time in history and a people whose rights were taken away and who were surrounded by secrets, murderous acquaintances, and corrupt officials.

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

  Bluebird, Bluebird: A Novel by Attica Locke. 2017, Mulholland Books (Little, Brown, and Company). Adult fiction.


  While Attica Locke doesn't live in Texas anymore, her heart must still be there! This novel about African American Texas Ranger Darren Mathews shows that she knows her setting and characters inside and out. Darren lives in Houston and has a wife, but when the deaths of a black man from Chicago and a white woman from the small town of Lark in East Texas call him back to his roots, he gets into a hornet's nest of racial unrest and old loyalties. The dead lawyer's wife comes south to try to find out what happened. The small local eating establishment is owned by Geneva whose own husband was killed a long time ago. It's across the highway from the house of a man who seems to have run local businesses and politics for generations. Darren's own weakness for liquor has put his own job in question and he is out to prove to himself that he can be the man he has always thought he could be. Combine all these elements and readers will find the crimes, tensions, and intrigues irresistibly in the hands of a veteran writer.

The Book That Matters Most by Ann Hood

   The Book That Matters Most by Ann Hood.  2016, paperback by W.W. Norton and Company. Adult fiction


   This is one of the most intriguing books I have read all year. The main character, Ava, is mother to two young adults and joins a friend's book group. When she was a child, Ava's sister died, and not long ago, her mother seems to have killed herself. Ava is never the same. Her own daughter is supposed to be in Florence studying, but is really in Paris, on drugs and in big trouble. Ava's son, her former husband, the policeman who investigated her sister's death, and the book group all play key roles in helping Ava sort out her own life and her family. At the beginning, each person in the book group is to choose "the book that matters most" to discuss at a monthly meeting.  The choices are interesting, the discussions are lively, and what the books reveal about the members of the group fuel the plot of the story. Just when you think you have it all figured out, things change and then change again and readers will find themselves wondering at the talents of writer Ann Hood.

Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan

                            


  Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan. Alfred A. Knopf, 2017. Adult fiction.


       A heartfelt story about an Irish Catholic family and their secrets and what means most to them. When sisters Nora and Theresa leave Ireland to come to America as young women, Nora is engaged. Years later, the two are estranged. One is married with children, the other is a nun in a cloistered abbey. The novel begins in 2009 with a tragic death and alternates with the backstory over the years since the late 1950's. The characters are believable. The twists keep readers going. Sullivan does a good job of showing the changing times and differences in cultures. The most important part of the book to take away is the ability to simply say, "I shouldn't have acted that way. Please forgive me."

Brave Red, Smart Frog: A New Book of Old Tales by Emily Jenkins

Brave Red, Smart Frog: A New Book of Old Tales by Emily Jenkins. Illustrated by Roahn Daniel Eason.Candlewick Press, 2017. Children’s fiction/Story collection.

Emily Jenkins weaves new magic into seven old tales with these retellings of traditional fairy tales. Color illustrations separate the stories. Readers will recognize  Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, and Red Riding Hood, but some other stories may not be as familiar. Jenkins infuses all of these with humor and imaginative details that add to the characters, and new little spins that will charm new and old readers alike.

You'll Never Know, Dear by Hallie Ephron

 

 You’ll Never Know, Dear by Hallie Ephron. William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2017. Adult fiction.

Creepy, atmospheric, and intriguing! When Lis was seven, her four-year-old sister disappeared. Her mother runs an ad every year on the anniversary of the child’s disappearance showing the girl’s also missing handmade doll. This year a young woman shows up who may have the doll. Lis and her daughter, Vanessa, are major characters who try to investigate the past. But, the mother and her best friend next door have spent their whole lives with secrets and hurts. The young woman with the doll and HER mother also are major characters. Set in South Carolina, the dangers are real and the events well plotted. This one will keep readers on the edge of their seats and up late reading!

Alex & Eliza: A Love Story by Melissa de la Cruz

Alex and Emma: A Love Story by Melissa de la Cruz. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2017. Historical fiction.  Young Adult.

If you loved Hamilton, The Musical, you will enjoy this tale of the youthful Schuyler sisters and their quests for love. The descriptions of dresses, food, houses, and other social aspects will satisfy many readers. The Will She?  Won’t She? give-and- take of the sisters and their beaus will appeal to teen girls, especially.  It is not clear exactly what is truth and what is fiction, but this may spur readers to do some research and determine the real facts for themselves.

(As of 2020, there are three titles in this series. Look for other titles in your library.)

The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck

The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck. William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 20107. Adult fiction.

From 1938 to 1991, this well written historical novel basically follows the stories of three women: Marianne von Lingenfels, a wealthy woman whose husband is connected to a plot to kill Hitler himself; Benita, a beautiful and naïve young woman who marries one of Marianne’s best friends; and Ania and her sons who Marianne rescues from a shelter because she is the wife of a resister. At the ruins of the Bavarian castle of her husband’s family, Marianne works to provide food and safety for these women. Over the years, the three reveal their own secrets and work to stay alive and adapt to their pasts, presents, and futures.  

The Baker's Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan

  

The Baker’s Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan. William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2017. Adult fiction.

Inhabited by the Nazis in WWII, a small village in Normandy is the scene for survival and resistance by villagers. Emma, apprenticed to the local baker, is the center of a system working to keep people alive.  All of the characters she comes in contact with blend together to provide a riveting look at survival and creativity. As the story continues, some people die and Emma herself finds her elaborate network unravelling. Emma believes the Allies will never come, but by the day they land, readers will find it hard to put down this book. Beautifully written, exquisitely plotted, the novel is one of the best I’ve read the whole summer.

 

Deal or Duel: An Alexander Hamilton Card Game

Deal or Duel: An Alexander Hamilton Card Game by Clarkson Potter. 2017 Recommended for older children, teens, and adults.




If you have older children or teach teens who love all things Alexander Hamilton, try this boxed card game. A large folded game board provides structure and places to put the "Debtors' Prison", card piles for action and discards, and money, "The Treasury", Around the edges are footsteps to pace the "Dueling Ground" as skirmishes happen.. A separate page identifies the personalities of the times; they are multicultural and diverse in careers.. You can win like a Democratic-Republican or a Federalist so players really learn a great deal about the people and the Constitution while playing. It takes awhile to get the rules right in your head, but perseverance pays for dedicated players!  The small box easily fits into a beach bag and parts are well constructed. I received this from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Tangerine: A Novel by Christine Mangan

Tangerine: A Novel by Christine Mangan. ECC, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2018.
Adult fiction. Reviewed advanced readers' copy from American Library Association conference in Chicago, June, 2017.  Cover not finalized.

It's the 1950's. Alice Shipley left Bennington College after a mysterious incident. She has married and moved to Tangier with her new husband. Then her college roommate, Lucy Mason, arrives. Lucy is confident where Alice is shy. Lucy has a murky past while Alice has shared every detail of her wealthy upbringing with Lucy.  Lucy was always the one who made plans, took chances, and ventured fearlessly into the world. Now, Alice is back into the old patterns of following Lucy's lead. Last time, things didn't end so well. Has anything changed?


Mangan does a good job of making each woman a distinct personality. The setting is really a character as the heat and foreign streets and markets come alive in the detailed descriptions. Putting the book in the 1950's reinforces the few options available to women at the time. Readers may think the book is going one direction, but things change and keep readers on their toes...and on the edge of their seats!

House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick

 House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick. Graydon House, 2015. Adult fiction.


Part mystery, part romance, part historical fiction, House of Shadows combines them all! When modern-day Holly Ansell's brother disappears near the mill they knew as children, she returns to her roots to try and find him. The English countryside is home to gardens and forests where Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter Queen, spent her last years. Legends abound about a famous pearl and a diamond encrusted mirror that Elizabeth thought could see the future and bring disaster. In the early 1801's a woman named Lavinia Flyte wrote a diary that involves past, present, and future.


Cornick is a historian and docent for a seventeenth century house in Oxfordshire. Her research pays off as she describes details of Ashdown House quite realistically. She writes smoothly and makes it easy to keep the threads of the different stories from tangling.

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

      The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins) to be published October, 2017. Adult fiction.

Looking for your next psychological thriller? Join the moneyed world of Daphne and Jackson Parrish of Connecticut. Seemingly the perfect couple, the perfect life, the perfect family, the two suck readers right into their perfect world. The first third of the story is told through Daphne's view. The second third of the tale is told through the voice of Amber Patterson, a young woman who becomes Daphne's friend. Amber soon establishes herself as very jealous, and wants Daphne's life and her husband. The last third of the book puts a new spin on the traditional gold digger, second wife tale and will have readers hurrying to find out what happens to them all. Love, friendship, manipulation, intrigue, all  play into this twisty and well written novel by two sisters who write under the pen name of Liv Constantine.

Anne of Green Gables (graphic novel) by Marsden and Thummler

 Anne of Green Gables, A Graphic Novel. Adapted by Mariah Marsden and illustrated by Brenna Thummler. Andrews McMeel, to be published October, 2017.


If you know and love the Anne stories or are new to them, pick up a copy of this graphic novel. You will experience Anne in a whole new way. Thummler's colorful illustrations add to the classic tale of an orphan who comes to live on Prince Edward Island in Canada. Marsden's adaptation includes all of the key adventures and drama of the child as she matures into a young woman. This would make a great gift for cruise travelers or anyone who plans a trip to the area...a quick read with the flavor and sweetness of the original by Lucy M. Montgomery. Who wouldn't want to just move next door to Anne?

Caroline, Little House, Revisited.

Caroline, Little House, Revisited by Sarah Miller. William Morrow, to be published September, 2017. Adult historical fiction.


Readers who grew up loving the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and/or television show will love this adult version from Ma's point of view. The story begins with Mary and Laura as little girls and Ma pregnant with a new baby. They pack up in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and head for Kansas and the Indian Territory. All the familiar details are there: Pa's fiddle, Ma's china shepherdess on the mantel, Mr. Edwards, and the warm family times. Although their lives were filled with hardships of raging rivers, strange new tribes of Indians, storms, and other scary things, the deep love and friendships carry them through the tough times.  Sarah Miller has done an excellent job of making the old stories seem fresh and new for adult readers.

Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict.

Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict. Sourcebooks Landmark, to be published January, 2018. Adult historical fiction.


Clara Kelley, a poor Irish girl, manages to take the identity of another girl and becomes a maid in the household of Andrew Carnegie, his brother, and his mother in Pittsburgh. She is clever, but terrified of being discovered and sent away. Her family depends on her income and Clara is well acquainted with poor people, poverty, and the differences in her new lifestyle and her old one. The book is truly historical fiction and really does not shed much new about Andrew Carnegie, but those who like to think of "what might have been" may surmise that Clara's influence spurred Carnegie to become the great philanthropist that he was. Benedict excels at descriptions of people and places of the past and weaves an interesting tale. This advanced reader edition did not have backmatter that might have told the truth vs. the fiction about the story.  See also The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict for another historical fiction novel by the same author.

Secrets of the Tulip Sisters by Susan Mallery.

Secrets of the Tulip Sisters by Susan Mallery.  HQN Books, 2017. Adult fiction. Romance.


Kelly Murphy raises tulips in Washington state. She lives with her father. Her mother abandoned him, Kelly, and her younger sister, Olivia, when the girls were teens. Now Olivia has come home to reconnect with her sister and father. Both women have their own secrets: about old loves, about their mother, about friends, and about their feelings. Their father refuses to say anything bad about their mother, but when she comes back to stay IN THE HOUSE with them all, the fuse is lit for emotional explosions! Filled with sex, old flames, new loves, and family drama, the Tulip Sisters is a book to take with you for light reading this summer.

A French Wedding by Hannah Tunnicliffe

 A French Wedding by Hannah Tunnicliffe. Doubleday (Penguin Random House), 2016, 2017. Contemporary adult fiction.


   Max is a rock star turning 40. He invites friends to a birthday celebration at his place in France. Juliette, a Parisian chef, has given up her restaurant in Paris to return to her small village to be with her dying parents. She takes the job as Max's personal chef. As the guests arrive, there is a married couple with a fifteen year old daughter, a long paired couple, Max's great love and her quirky sister, and an old mate and his new girlfriend. From the title, readers know there will be a wedding, but whose is it? A surprise pregnancy, a friend who makes a better friend than lover, and new love all intertwine for this culinary delight. If you liked The Big Chill movie, you will enjoy this story!

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict.

 The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict. Sourcebooks, Inc.,    
                              2016. Historical fiction.


    While most of us have heard of Albert Einstein, we are probably not familiar with his first wife, a scientist in her own right and mother of his children. In 1896, the couple meet while in school where Mileva is the only woman. When they fall in love, Albert promises that they will be equals in their careers and marriage. Unfortunately, that is not how things turn out. Benedict manages to convey the love, the tragedies, and the restrictions of the time. The novel will send readers looking for photos of the real Mileva and to nonfiction to find out more about her. In a more enlightened time, Mrs. Einstein might well have received the credit she deserved for her research and not just the money Albert got with his Nobel Prize.

My Life to Live: How I Became the Queen of Soaps When Men Ruled the Airwaves by Agnes Nixon

  My Life to Live: How I Became the Queen of Soaps When Men Ruled the Airwaves by Agnes Nixon. Crown Archetype (Penguin Random House), 2017. Memoir.




Agnes Nixon, an only child, made up stories about her paper dolls. She wrote her own stories as a young child and dreamed of being a writer. She ultimately became the creator and head writer of the successful daily "soap opera" All My Children and head writer for One Life to Live, another daytime drama. While both shows were cancelled by ABC in 2011, many fans remember the shows and will enjoy the tidbits shared in this book. The foreword is written by Carol Burnett, a fan who also played a role.




In this memoir, Agnes tells of her parents' divorce and her father's dominating influence on her life. He constantly told Agnes that she could not write and wanted her to go into his own burial garment business. She lost an early love who went to fight in WWII. She faced countless situations where she was the first woman to succeed. Agnes and her husband, Bob, later shared responsibilities for their network successes and four children. Told with candor and humor, the story of Agnes' life is itself worthy of a soap opera!


I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.