Olive, Again

Unfiltered. Fans of the memorable character Olive Kitteridge from a collection of stories with that title by Elizabeth Strout will be delighted that Olive has returned in another connected story collection titled, Olive, Again. Olive continues to speak her mind, bluntly, unfiltered, and often without awareness about the impact of her words on others. In other words, Olive is older, but not mellower. Beneath her crotchety veneer, there is deep love and kindness that comes out with each story in this collection. Best of all are the things Olive comes to realize over time, and what she never quite learns about herself. Strout leads readers to think about aging and the things we can learn and reflect about as we get older. The setting in Maine brings current rural life there in vibrant images in these stories. Strout writes with great skill, and I loved the return of Olive even more than I enjoyed meeting her over a decade ago. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Olive Again from amazon.com.

Frankissstein

Hybrid. Should your book club select Jeanette Winterson’s novel titled, Frankissstein, be prepared to open more wine as questions explored in the novel will lead to more questions. She weaves two stories: the familiar Mary Shelley story and a contemporary story featuring a transgender doctor who works in cryogenics. Questions arise about the purpose of the body, the meaning of life, defining our identity and following our desires. Will we be a hybrid of body and machine? After the second glass of wine at book club, let the likely conversation about sexbots meander toward laughter. Then ask another deep question. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Frankissstein from amazon.com.

What Do We Need Men For?: A Modest Proposal

Spunky. Set aside for a moment that you already know one thing E. Jean Carroll says about President Trump in her memoir titled, What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal. With that off your mind, let me set up the rest of this book. Carroll went on a road trip asking women the question in the title. The book is packed with anecdotes, asides, interesting people, and stories from the full and exciting life of the author over the course of many years. This spunky writer is full of life, humor and resilience. There’s a dark history related underneath the lightness of the narrative, and Carroll’s ability to convey her story with grace makes this book capture the highs and lows of an interesting life during fascinating times. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase What Do We Need Men For from amazon.com.

The Ruin

Links. The debut novel by Dervla McTiernan is titled, The Ruin. Set in Galway, the novel links two cases of detective Cormac Reilly: the recent death of Jack Blake, and two decades earlier when as a rookie policeman he met Jack with sister Maude at the death of their mother. Sure in Ireland the past is always present and the ghosts never go away. Fans of crime fiction will find the cases compelling, the characters interesting, and the writing satisfying. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase The Ruin from amazon.com.

A Death in the Rainforest: How a Language and a Way of Life Came to an End in Papua New Guinea

Isolated. Readers interested in learning about the work of an anthropologist should consider a book by Professor Don Kulick of Uppsala University titled, A Death in the Rainforest: How a Language and a Way of Life Came to an End in Papua New Guinea. Over the course of three decades, Kulick spent time in Papua New Guinea documenting an isolated language, Tayap. Kulick tells us the story of these people and how they live in a changing world, as he takes us behind the scenes to show what an anthropologist does. Reading this book reminded me why my undergraduate major in anthropology never led to graduate school or to fieldwork. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase A Death in the Rainforest from amazon.com.

American Messiahs: False Prophets of a Damned Nation

Audience. Throughout American History religious leaders have arisen to present an alternative message to receptive followers. In his book titled, American Messiahs: False Prophets of a Damned Nation, Adam Morris surveys a wide range of these leaders, some well-known and others obscure. General readers may find the narrative a bit bland while those knowledgeable in history and religion may find that the narrative leaves many gaps. I enjoyed hearing about people I never knew, like Cyrus Teed in the nineteenth century, and some I enjoyed learning more about, like Father Devine in the twentieth century. Some self-proclaimed messiahs were benign and others dangerous. Any reader with interest in both history and religion will find these stories interesting. Rating: Three-star (It’s ok) Click here to purchase American Messiahs from amazon.com.

A Better Man

Fear. The Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny is one of those rare cases in which new installments continue to get better. One of the best novels yet, the fifteenth in the series, is titled, A Better Man. Armand Gamache’s suspension from the Sûreté du Québec has ended, and to the surprise of politicians who wanted him retired, Gamache has returned in a demoted role, head of homicide, a role he shares with his son-in-law Jean-Guy Beauvoir, who will soon be leaving Canada to work in the private sector in France. Penny uses this installment to explore fear in many forms, which she does with great skill. The mystery at the heart of this story keeps many readers guessing among lots of possibilities until the very end of the book, to great satisfaction. Along the way, a full cast of familiar characters supports the action. Gamache draws on a lifetime of experience to use his psychological insights to solve a complicated case and to assume his demoted job with skill and sensitivity. Loyal readers will savor this installment, and any crime fiction reader can start this series anyplace and find good writing and terrific characters. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase A Better Man from amazon.com.