Cinnamon Roll Murder

Nice. Readers looking for an escape to the world of “Minnesota nice” can find a few hours of pleasure by reading Joanne Fluke’s 15th installment in her Hannah Swensen mystery series. Titled, Cinnamon Roll Murder, this novel opens with Hannah serving as a first responder to a bus accident. The action proceeds at a good clip, and the recipes included provide a sweet diversion of another type. Most characters are caring and loving people who treat each other with kindness. Readers who like to feel good after reading a novel are those most likely to enjoy the books in this series.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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Beautiful Souls: Saying No, Breaking Ranks, and Heeding the Voice of Conscience in Dark Times

Nonconformists. Eyal Press’ short book, Beautiful Souls: Saying No, Breaking Ranks, and Heeding the Voice of Conscience in Dark Times, presents a reflection on a dimension of human behavior: standing alone for one’s convictions. He tells the stories of nonconformists who exhibit moral courage in taking stances that conflict with the will of their superiors or peers. This book provides a thought-provoking launching point for conversation with friends or colleagues about the decisions we make to conform or to stand our ground. Readers looking for inspiring stories of courageous behavior will find those here. Readers looking for an interesting book club selection will find this book will stimulate lively discussion.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

Cues. Readers who like science written for lay people are those most likely to enjoy Charles Duhigg’s new book, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Duhigg explains the science in enough detail to inform and in a writing style that entertains because of great examples and stories. The loop we all engage in is that some cue causes us to behave in a certain way to achieve a desired reward. Some readers are likely to become more self-reflective after reading this book, and may recognize the patterns that we follow without much thought.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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Beastly Things

Companions. Fans of the Donna Leon novels featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti will enjoy this 21st installment in a reliable and consistent series set in Venice. Titled Beastly Things, the novel opens with the homicide of a veterinarian. While Guido investigates the case, his wife, Paola, struggles with an issue of her own at the university. As expected, both Guide and Paola find ways to reach the right resolution. The scenes of Brunetti and his sidekick Vianello visiting a slaughterhouse were more vivid than some readers might appreciate, and the good character and decency of some characters provides a striking contrast to the criminals. By the time Leon shifts to pets as companions at the end of the novel, most readers will have become vegetarians.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East

Restoration. Within the span of a few pages of Anthony Shadid’s memoir, House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East, I smiled and then teared up. The centerpiece of the book is the story of his restoration of a family home in southern Lebanon. He owns a fraction of this house with a load of cousins, and decided to just go ahead and live in it, since he was the only owner residing in the region even part of the year. Anyone who has tried to restore an old house will smile at these travails. The havoc of war in the region is never far from the scene, and Shadid provides crisp and clear insight into the issues and the effects of decades of strife. What Shadid does so well is describe the people of the town and members of his family in ways that all readers will enjoy. The fact that Shadid died earlier this year led me to tear up on occasion as I read this book. A major part of his legacy involves his extensive journalism career with The Washington Post and The New York Times. Another part of his legacy is the restoration of a stone house, as told in this finely written memoir.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
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The Starboard Sea

Truth. Amber Dermont’s debut novel, The Starboard Sea, takes the 99% into a slice of the lives of the 1%. Set at a co-ed prep school for the outcasts of other prep schools, Dermont draws a picture of the loneliness and alienation of the rich children of busy parents. Their coming of age can be hampered rather than enhanced by privilege. Their search for the right path in life can be elusive. Demont’s writing is lyrical, the story engrossing, and the sailing exciting. Readers willing to give a debut novelist a try are likely to enjoy this novel, as will those who attended prep school, are wealthy, or who love sailing.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

Understanding. To the extent such a thing could happen, it seems that Susan Cain may have written an introvert’s manifesto with her book titled, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. Cain presents the importance and value of the perspective and contributions that introverts can make in relationships and work settings, if given the chance. Her call is for understanding and the achievement of balance. This book is quick and easy to read, and extroverts are likely to feel they got the point, while introverts will ponder and reflect on Cain’s viewpoints and discover ways in which their contributions can be acknowledged and recognized.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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