Year Zero by Rob Reid

Year Zero by Rob Reid

There are many, many, many Refined Beings in the universe.  They are skilled at all the arts that humankind knows of, and many more we’re just not cool enough to have discovered yet.  But there is one thing we can do much, much, MUCH better than any alien. (UnRefined Beings as we are.)  We have rhythm and we can carry a tune.  Our music is the best music in the universe.  Nothing has been the same since the Kotter Moment; the moment alien life managed to get into our television frequency in the 70s and heard the theme song from “Welcome Back Kotter.”  (You can’t get the Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back out of your head now can you?)  Ever since then the universe has been obsessed with our music and has downloaded everything we’ve got.  Unfortunately for the universe they believe that the laws of the creative entity formulate the distribution and payment for their art.  In other words every being in the universe owes humankind $150,000 per song (that’s the price for illegally downloading music based on current copyright law) and they have each got a copy of every song ever recorded…  The universe is facing bankruptcy on a MAJOR scale.  That’s why some aliens figure they are better off just blowing us up.

I have to admit I wasn’t sure about this one.  But it grew on me.  And there are footnotes – I have a weakness for fiction with footnotes.  It is funny, it helps to know a bit about late 70s pop culture, and for a short giggling diversion it is a good choice.

The Art Forger by B. A. Shapiro

The Art Forger by B. A. Shapiro

This is the story of one of the paintings stolen from the Gardner in Boston over 20 years ago.  I have started describing this book here numerous times and have deleted my summary every time.  I don’t want to give anything away because the plot takes a number of turns that I really enjoyed and I don’t want to ruin it for anyone.

I can tell you what you will learn about from this book: techniques of master forgers, methods of painting authentication, how art historians authenticate their works and the blindness of experts when faced with conflicting truths.  A wonderful look into the underbelly of the art world.

The Colony by A. J. Colucci

The Colony by A. J. Colucci

Remember those cheesy horror movies where a tiny insect was mutated into gigantic proportions and threatened to take over the world?  When I was a kid I found them scary.  Good thing those movie writers didn’t have Colucci’s book as a script or I would have never slept again.  What’s scarier than a 10-story tall ant?  Normal-sized mutated ants that eat any living creature they can find.  And when all the rats, bugs and other critters have been devoured what’s left to eat on the island of Manhattan?  You guessed it.  Humans.  Not cool.  Not cool at all.  But oh so great to read. 

This is a smartly written quickly moving novel that will have you squirming and screaming but loving it all the same.  If you miss the creatures gone bad of Stephen King and Michael Crichton you’ll really enjoy this one.

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

Remember why those four friends journeyed down the train tracks in the movie Stand By Me?  It was to see a dead body.  Hardly anyone remembers the purpose of their walking: they remember the friendships and the way these young boys grow up during their journey.  The Round House reminded me of Stand By Me.  Four goofy young teens are enjoying childish things when an event turns their lives upside down.  The mother of one of the boys is brutally attacked and the quartet decides that they are going to catch the man who did this and make sure justice is served.

The book is set on an Indian reservation in the 80s and details what life was like on a reservation at that time as well as how convoluted the law governing tribal lands were (and are).  A good read, quite dark, with moments of humor, best enjoyed by mystery lovers.

Supervolcano: Eruption by Harry Turtledove

Supervolcano: Eruption by Harry Turtledove

Turtledove is the king of alternate histories.  In this book he has written an alternate present.  The story follows one family and their significant others and friends when the supervolcano at Yellowstone decides to blow. The main character, is a police lieutenant outside of Los Angeles, is busy tracking down a serial killer when the event occurs.  How will the rest of his family fare?

What I really liked about this book is the variety of places characters were when the eruptions happened.  There are characters in California, Colorado, Nebraska, even Maine.  It is interesting to hear about what other parts of the country are experiencing.

I didn’t know that this was to be the first in a trilogy, but I should have guessed since Turtledove is fond of writing trilogies.  I would give the next one a listen to hear what happens next!

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

Dellarobia is walking through the far part of her husband’s family’s property when she sees that the trees are on fire (she forgot her glasses at home).  When she finds out that her father-in-law is planning on selling the far part of his property to loggers she convinces her husband and in-laws to walk the area first to make sure they know what they are selling; she has a feeling something amazing is up there.  She is right.  Butterflies.  Millions of them covering the trees and turning them bright orange.  It seems that the monarch butterflies which normally migrate to Mexico have decided to winter in Appalachia.  Is it a miracle?  Or a sign of a world in trouble?

I really like Dellarobia.  She is such a smart lady who is simply ignorant of the ways of science.  She doesn’t know about the current theories of global warming nor scientific method.  Her high school science teacher was also the gym teacher and he often had them play sports during science period.  This is a great look at small town life in Appalachia and how many people in these poor rural communities live and why many of the people living there can never seem to better their lives or get out.  You’ll find yourselves rooting for Dellrobia and for the butterflies that have taken a drastically wrong turn this winter.

The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers

The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers 

Private Bartle and Private Murphy have gone through basic training together in New Jersey.  Now they are shipped off to Iraq where the war changes them and makes promises very hard to keep.

I understand why this short novel has been up for awards.  This is a stark look at life as a soldier in Iraq and what the day to day of the war is like.  It is also the story of how these young men return home to the states, bringing the war home with them.  It is about the unpredictability of war and the fragility of the human spirit.  It is a powerful book, especially on audio.

Fleet of Worlds by Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner

Fleet of Worlds by Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner

I had heard of the Ringworld series but had never read any of them.  And there are a lot of them.  Where to start?  I decided to go with a prequel, and I have to admit I’m intrigued by the universe even though Ringworld wasn’t present at all.

In the future Colonists (humans) serve the Citizens through farming and the manufacture of items.  They do this willingly out of thankfulness since their ancestors were taken in when their ship was adrift hundreds of years before.  Current Colonists are sent away on a mission to investigate life forms on a newly discovered planet.  Their job is to assess the threat level of these beings to the fleet of worlds which will pass by that way in a hundred years or so.  The actions of the Citizens make the Colonists start to question their beginnings.  Is the story of their rescue all that they have been led to believe?

What a cool book.  The Citizens are fascinating.  They are definitely otherworldly, smart and amazingly timid.  They sort of reminded me of intelligent deer, that’s how skittish they seemed.  The authors do a great job explaining their physique as well as their emotional state.  It was also great to see humans get in touch with their inquisitiveness and sense of fairness among other traits.  Even if you’re not a huge fan of aliens, you would probably enjoy the intrigue created here.

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

With the sudden death of Barry Fairbrother the quaint and perfect town of Pagford is thrown into a tizzy and the true colors of its inhabitants comes to the fore.  Fairbrother was on the town council and was the major proponent of some controversial legislation.  With his death there is now a casual vacancy on the council and the fate of this idyllic town is in the hands of his replacement.

This is a dark book but it’s got a lot of humor.  It is definitely an adult book – there are large helpings of sex, drugs and swearing – but I can see older teens not only reading it, but enjoying it.  It shows the dark side of adult life and how youth thinks they have all the answers, but they don’t even know what all the questions are yet.

I didn’t think I’d like this book.  And to be honest, I may not have liked it as much as I did (and I liked it a lot) if I had read it.  The reader of this audiobook was wonderful.  All the voices were distinctive and really made the characters come to life.  I actually got teary-eyed and laughed out loud while listening to this one.  It is now on my favorite audiobooks list.

Of note: You can drive to Maine and back (and make loads of cool stops along the way) in the time it takes to finish a 15 disc audiobook.  

Germline by T.C. McCarthy

Germline by T.C. McCarthy

It is the future.  Wars are now fought underground in mines for precious metals.  The current front is in Kazakhstan.  Men in mechanized suits and genetically created warriors fight side by side on both the American and Russian sides.  We see the war through the eyes of the only reporter allowed (and crazy enough) to be there.  He brings a civilian perspective to the war, the people and the causes.

While I have to admit I didn’t like the audiobook at first it grew on me, just like Oscar, the main character did.  A self-destructive drug addict that is worthless as a reporter was a hard sell – I have a hard time reading books where I don’t like the main character.  But he grew on you.  This is the story of a boy (albeit chronologically already a man) becoming a man through the trials of war.  While definitely science fiction, it read like a historical or present day war story.  It wraps up neatly so I’m anxious to see where the sequel leads.

Leviathan by David L. Golemon

Leviathan by David L. Golemon

What if not only The Count of Monte Cristo but also 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea were both based on generations of the same family?  This family controls the seas with a submarine that can travel at speeds and depths that no navy on earth can follow.  And they have a mission to take back the seas on behalf of the inhabitants of the oceans which humans are killing with their toxins and pollutants.  Yes, there is an environmental message here, but it is just a matter of fact one, not a preachy overtone that similar works have taken.

I really enjoy Golemon.  He’s got a great knack of combining science, pseudo-science, action and adventure to form a great story.  If you’re a fan of the X-Files and miss it terribly, you will enjoy Golemon’s Event Group series. 

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

Laurel Nicholson is sitting up in a treehouse bemoaning her teenage existence when she notices a stranger come up the walk.  Her mother exits the kitchen holding her youngest, her two year old son, and a knife to cut his birthday cake.  The man calls to her mother and reaches for her.  She reacts by stabbing him, fatally, with the cake knife.  Laurel is told to never speak of the incident after she tells the authorities what she saw.  Her siblings don’t know what happened that day in the garden and she puts it (mostly) out of her mind.  Yet when her mother is quite elderly and suffering from dementia Laurel remembers the incident because certain things her mother is saying don’t quiet make sense.  What secrets is her mother keeping?

If you are a Kate Morton fan you will not be disappointed.  I think this is her best novel yet.  While she brings in elements from her previous books (which I can’t name here because I’ll give things away) she combines them in a fresh new way to write a really intriguing family drama.

Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzer

Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzer

This book is considered Science Fiction simply because Maxon is an expert in robotics that is on his way to the moon to set his robots in motion to build an outpost there.  But what this book really is about is family.  How the perfect seeming family is never perfect and it’s the imperfections that make families and relationships so wonderful.

Sunny has the ideal suburban life.  She is slim, blonde and on all the right boards.  She has her son on all the correct medications for his Autism.  She is pregnant with her second child.  She has a wonderful husband who is an astronaut.  All is well in her universe until the car accident that knocks the wig from her head and causes her to look at her perfect life and face facts.  Perfection is highly overrated.

I loved this book.  I listened to it and found myself driving around more than necessary to listen just a little bit more.  It’s fun, funny and thought provoking.  The characters are wonderfully drawn and I really wish that I could know them all.

Containment by Christian Cantrell

Containment by Christian Cantrell

In the future humans have started a colony on the planet with gravity most like our own – Venus.  An enclosed colony has been created because of the harshness of the environment.  Only one problem baffles the colonists, how to create more oxygen so they can increase their population.  This problem is the focus of Arik’s work.  He is one of the hundred babies born to Gen V, the first group of colonists born on Venus.  The colony will not currently support more life.

The book opens with Arik recovering from an accident that occurred outside while suited up.  He has no memory of the incident that happened months previous.  But when he awakens he finds his wife is pregnant and if he doesn’t solve the air problem soon his child will not be able to survive.  He hopes that supplies can be sent from Earth to give him more time, but air can’t be sent from Earth – contact has been lost.

This is more psychological thriller than SciFi exploration.  I want to say so much more, about how I was really impressed with how the story unfolded and why…but that would give away too much.  If you want a well-crafted story with a mystery and a moral quandary to chew over through its pages give this one a try.

The Deep Zone by James M. Tabor

The Deep Zone by James M. Tabor

After listening to this book I know there is one thing I never want to try.  I never want to attempt journeying into a supercave.  Or any type of cave that requires me to go underwater for long stretches, cross areas of corrosive acid pools on teeny tiny ledges, or scuttle sideways, barely fitting through small crevasses not knowing if I can get back out.  Not my idea of fun.  However, perfectly enjoyable to listen to knowing I will NEVER find myself in a situation even slightly similar.

ACE is a highly contagious and absolutely awful infection that makes everything we already know of seem tame.  It has popped up in Afghanistan in American military hospitals and it is only a matter of time before it spreads.  No known antibiotics have much of an effect.  There was a lab that was working on a new strain of antibiotics, but their research was stopped after their lead scientist left in a cloud of impropriety.  Now they need her to continue her research and fast.  The problem is that the source of all her research, nicknamed moon milk, is depleted, and the only place on earth to find more is miles down into a supercave beneath the Mexican jungle.

The author is a renowned caver who has written non-fiction articles and a book on the subject so he knows of what he speaks.  The detail and urgency he creates makes you want to keep reading.  I have to admit that about halfway through I knew something “wrong” was going on, and I knew what it was, but there were so many layers of intrigue it was okay that I figured out one plotline before the others came to light.

Only Superhuman by Christopher L. Bennett

Only Superhuman by Christopher L. Bennett

What if superheroes were real?  In this version of our future they are.  These Troubleshooters are genetically and robotically modified humans that use their powers to patrol the non-Earth entities – foremost the asteroid belt.  Emerald Blaze is a Troubleshooter who has just lost her mentor while battling against terrorists.  Depressed and a little self-destructive, she begins to re-examine her life and the role of the Troubleshooters just in time for a new leader to change the rules and make her question everything and everyone around her.

I wanted to like this book.  I really did.  The author mentions in the afterword that he originally conceived it as a graphic novel.  It may have worked better that way.  I usually can’t tell if an author of one gender has a main character of the other, but in this book it was definitely a man trying to write as a strong woman.  She was just off.  And the writing was too in your face.  You know her moral motivations for certain actions above and beyond what you needed to know because the author kept coming back to it.  And yet other things she did, I have no clue why she did them.   

The line from Spiderman kept ringing in my ears – with great power comes great responsibility – and it was quoted a number of times in the book as well.  I just wish it came together better.

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

A man lives a solitary life tending to his orchards in the Pacific Northwest.  It is a quiet life, but one that suits him.  One day, while out tending his trees, he spies two young girls.  They are feral things not wanting to come too close.  He feels sorry for them in their obviously pregnant states and starts to feed them and care for them.  This is their story.

This novel is a wonderful character study.  Some of the most interesting characters I’ve met lately are in this book.  In many ways they style of storytelling is understated but this is also an epic in its sweeping style though it follows very few characters.  A story of family, and what that word means and feels like.  Friendship, and how far true friends are willing to go to help one another.  And hope, and how hope can at once blind a man and make him see.

Incarnation by Emma Cornwall

Incarnation by Emma Cornwall

What if the Arthurian legends were real…mostly?  What if Bram Stoker’s book was based on partial truths?  What if Lucy from Dracula was a real person, a woman who is now a vampire, and really annoyed to have her story told in such a way?  This is the alternate Victorian England in which Incarnation is set.

Lucy awakens disoriented, buried in the yard of her family’s country estate.  After clawing her way out of her coffin, and removing a stake from her chest, she goes about her solitary life eating the animals she can catch and wondering what has happened to her.  Eventually she ventures into the rooms of her family’s abandoned house and into her father’s study.  There she finds the manuscript of a book called Dracula by a man named Stoker.  Recognizing elements of herself in the story she decides to travel to England to get answers.  In England she finds others like her, some who hate her kind, and the beings who have shaped the history of her beloved England.

This novel is described as a Victorian steampunk vampire story.  While there are elements of steampunk, like police on scooters and dirigibles patrolling the skies, the steampunk part of the story is almost non-existent.  However, there is every indication that there will be a sequel and I believe that is where the machines will be much more evident.

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Catherine knows what she is doing is irrational, but she can’t stop.  She has to check her house before leaving every day and if her routine is disturbed she can be an hour, or two, or three, late for work.  Everything has to be just so.  Catherine has OCD and only after talking with her new neighbor is she considering getting help.  Her compulsions all came about because of a former relationship.  She was in an abusive relationship with Lee, who tried to kill her the last time they were together.  He is in jail, but she knows he will be released soon.

I can’t reveal much more because the author does such a great job releasing information bit by bit to really build the story and the horror of what Catherine has gone through.  Told in alternating chapters of her past with Lee and her present we learn what Catherine has survived and marvel at how this broken woman is still able to function at all.  Besides being a great psychological thriller this book is also an empathetic look at OCD, its causes and treatments, and how difficult it is to overcome.  You’ll find yourself really liking this woman and cheering for her every step of the way.

Why haven’t more people discovered this book?!  If you enjoyed Gone Girl or Before I Go to Sleep you need to read this one.  The villains in these books have nothing on Lee. 

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

Harold Fry has never done anything daring, or strange, or even slightly out of the ordinary.  Yet one day, upon hearing that his former colleague Queenie is dying of cancer, rather than simply post a letter to her he decides to deliver it in person.  By walking to see her.  Across of all England.  In yachting shoes and without a toothbrush.  Because as long as he’s walking he knows Queenie will wait for him.

I was expecting quirky (which I got) but this is a lot deeper than I expected.  Harold’s rather simple life is anything but simple.  As the book develops we learn more about Harold, his relationship with his wife and with his son.  We also learn of the rather large part Queenie played in his life.  This book will surprise you in more ways than one.

Written in a matter of fact style no matter what is being related this evenly told story is a refreshing look at domestic dramas.  I especially enjoyed the observations Harold makes early on while walking on roadsides.  It’s amazing what we miss zooming by at 55mph.  This book will inspire you to walk to the nearest store rather than jump in the car the next time you need something.  At least it did for me.

A Working Theory of Love by Scott Hutchins

A Working Theory of Love by Scott Hutchins

For decades scientists have been trying to beat the Turing test – proving human-like intelligence in computers.  Judges have to determine if a human or a computer is answering questions based only on transcripts, if 30% of the judges think the computer is human, we have a winner!  This test has not yet been beaten. 

A start-up company in San Francisco thinks they have the answer to make computers more human, the diaries of Neill’s deceased father Dr. Bassett.  Dr. Bassett liked to write about his life: mundane things, observations about life, everything.  There is so much material here that the computer starts to sound just like Neill’s father.  Neill starts to talk to the computer as if it’s his father.  But there is one thing that Neill wants to know about, and the computer can never find out about, because no one knows how it will affect the mind that is forming there: why did Dr. Bassett commit suicide?

This is the story of a man coming to terms with his own life, getting to know himself, and getting to know his father.  A man he feels like he’s only getting to understand now that he’s dead and sort of living as a computer.  Only one thing is missing to make the computer Dr. Bassett real: a working theory of love.  An interesting look at what makes us human.

Sutton by J.R. Moehringer

Sutton by J.R. Moehringer

When Willie “The Actor” Sutton was pardoned on Christmas Eve 1969 he granted one interview.  This is the fictionalized account of what transpired on Christmas Day between Sutton, the photographer and the reporter.  No one really knows what was said.  This is a story told in flashbacks, memories and wishes.  The way all lives are recalled.

While the broad strokes of Sutton’s life are based on what really happened, Moehringer fills in the details.  Details that make this story a thoroughly engrossing read.  From his childhood on the streets of Brooklyn, to his training, his bank robberies and from one prison cell (and escape) after another, we follow Sutton and his friends, enemies and his great love, through time.

If you’re a fan of character studies you really shouldn’t pass this one by.  This is a story about growing up poor in New York City before, during and after the Depression.  A story of a man who wanted, and got, more out of life, one bank robbery at a time…

White Horse by Alex Adams

White Horse by Alex Adams

White Horse, a genetic disease that mixes up our DNA, is on the loose and there is no cure.  You may end up growing a tail, an extra heart in your throat or regenerative abilities.  Eighty percent of humans die from the disease.  Ten percent never get sick.  Ten percent live, but are no longer what we know as human.

The world as we know it is about to end, and has already ended.  There are two storylines in this book each following the same main character: Now and Then.  Now is about 18 months after things got really bad.  Then is the time, maybe a year or so before Now, leading up to the end.  It’s a neat way to tell the story.

I’m still trying to figure out whether or not I enjoyed this book.  I think enjoy is the wrong word for apocalyptic fiction – it made me think; that is the way these books are appreciated.  And yes, this one did indeed make me think. 

The Vanishing Act by Mette Jakobsen

The Vanishing Act by Mette Jakobsen

Twelve-year old Minou lives on an island with her father, a former circus performer and his dog, and a priest.  It is a small island so when her mother disappears it is assumed that she was taken by the sea.  Minou refuses to believe that her mother is dead.  When the body of a boy washes up on their shore everything changes for Minou.

This is a short fable that debates whether life is better led by one’s creative and imaginative side or philosophical and logical side.  An answer is not clearly given, but both sides argue out well through the narrative.

Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillipp Sendker

Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillipp Sendker

Reviewed by Kay, Librarian at the Bridgewater Library

This novel starts out as a mystery.  A successful lawyer goes missing leaving his wife and adult daughter with no idea what has happened to him.  The daughter decides to go looking for him in Burma after discovering old love letters the father has written.  The story then becomes a romance where we learn about the father’s childhood and teen age years and the love he had for a young crippled girl in Burma.  It is a beautiful and intriguing story or love and sacrifice and duty.  The novel was very well written and I enjoyed listening to this tale unfold.  Great love story but very sad.

Gone Missing by Linda Castillo

Gone Missing by Linda Castillo

Reviewed by Kay, Libarian at the Bridgewater Library

I must admit that this book caught my eye as I was looking for the popular title, Gone Girl.

I found Linda Castillo‘s book well written and the opening pages concerning a suicide drew me into the story.   I enjoyed the background information concerning the Amish and their culture.  The lead investigator is Kate Burkholder who was brought up Amish and is asked to help with the investigation of some missing Amish teens.   It read like a CSI crime story and the crimes and the police work made for a suspense-filled story.  Kate is a strong character dedicated to solving crime, but she also has a sad, disturbing background.  

This was my first Linda Castillo novel and I will read more by her.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

Bernadette is Bee’s mom.  Bernadette is a mess.  She is extremely antisocial, to the point where she has outsourced her life to India.  Yes, you did read that right.  In order to avoid social interactions her personal assistant in India sets up her travel arrangements, chooses items to order and ships them to Bernadette’s home and even makes dinner reservations.  Bernadette is not agoraphobic; she just doesn’t like talking to anyone except immediate family.

Bernadette and her family and going along with their lives when disaster strikes.  Bee has gotten perfect marks all through school.  That means she can have whatever she wants.  And she wants a family trip to Antarctica over the Christmas break.  Bernadette doesn’t think she can do it.  And a bunch of things that happen prior to leaving on the trip chip away at the family.  In a climactic scene Bernadette mysteriously disappears.  Bee is determined to find her.

This is just a really fun book.  It’s a quick read, mostly because of the interesting format.  The story is revealed through emails, news articles and regular narrative.  There is a reason for the strange format and it really works in telling this story.  I left so much out in my summary because finding out little by little about Bernadette’s story and why she is the woman she has become is fascinating.  I completely recommend this book for those looking for something fun, but not light and fluffy.  This isn’t angel food cake; it is raspberry chocolate cheesecake, for the mind.

Immobility by Brian Evenson

Immobility by Brian Evenson

Josef Horkai awakens remembering none of the details of his life.  He can only recall the sweeping circumstances about everyday existence prior to the Kollaps.  He can remember what that decaying building over there once was, but he can’t remember what he did for a living once upon a time.  Horkai only knows what he’s told.  He has awakened after thirty years in cryogenic storage to learn he has the amazing ability to survive outside in the irradiated world.  He is completely hairless and can regenerate.  He was once human but now he is not.  He’s paraplegic and if his spinal cord isn’t re-severed every few days the disease that allows him to survive in this world will slowly paralyze him and kill him.

This is all an awful lot to take in but time is of the essence.  His awakeners want to send him on a quest to retrieve the seeds the human colony needs to rebuild.  Since Horkai looks like the keepers in the mountain he is the only one who can retrieve them.

While this is bleak and dark SciFi it is also a psychological thriller.  In fact, it is a GREAT psychological thriller.  If you like second and third guessing the motives of people in novels do not pass this one by.  A slight, yet jam-packed novel, that makes you think long after you turn the last page.

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison

Ben was a stay at home dad until a tragic accident claimed the lives of his two children and ended his marriage.  He is understandably depressed.  When he has almost depleted his meager savings he enrolls in a night class called The Fundamentals of Caregiving.  There he learns how to care for extremely ill clients and keep himself emotionally removed.  Enter Trevor, a typical 19-year-old trapped in a horribly uncooperative body.  Trevor is slowly dying from his condition and Ben can’t help but become emotionally involved.  After various misunderstandings and misadventures Ben and Trevor hit the road to visit Trevor’s father.    

In a word: bittersweet.  There is so much tragedy overhanging the novel but the humor makes you laugh, and then you feel sort of guilty about laughing.  I enjoyed the book, but I didn’t enjoy the jerky emotional roller coaster.  Yes, what happened to Ben was unbelievably horrible, but stretching out the reveal in alternate chapters throughout the entire novel really made your head spin.

The Cutting Season by Attica Locke

The Cutting Season by Attica Locke

Caren Gray returned to Belle Vie, the Louisiana plantation on the Mississippi River, years ago when Hurricane Katrina ruined the life she had made for herself and her daughter in New Orleans.  She is now the General Manager of the historic site and popular venue for weddings and other catered events.  As a young girl she spent a lot of time at the former sugar cane plantation since her mother was the cook for the family who lived there.  Prior to that, for a number of generations, her family worked the land, first as slaves then as freedmen.  Now she, and her daughter Morgan, live at Belle Vie and all seems perfect. 

Nothing ever stays perfect.  The body of a migrant worker, a woman who worked the fields bordering Belle Vie, is found murdered near the reconstructed slave cabins.  Why would someone kill this woman?  Caren finds herself swept into the investigation as trespassers and stalkers begin dogging her trail.  Caren is also carrying out an investigation of her own.  She’s trying to discover what happened to Jason, her ancestor who worked at the plantation after the Civil War, after he was freed and could have chosen to go anywhere and do anything, but instead choose to stay.

A well-crafted mystery, the clues are presented as Caren discovers them and you’ll be puzzling out the mystery as she does.  A good pick on audio, but I would have liked more southern dialect in my reading.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

If you love books, the smell of the printed page and the mysteries uncovered within those typeset leaves, and you also consider yourself a bit of a geek, either of the Dungeons & Dragons or computer nerd variety, this book was made with you in mind.  I know it was written with me in mind.  I devoured it.  It’s fanciful, fun and funny. 

Clay Jannon leaps at the opportunity to work the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.  Since there are hardly ever any customers he can work on some marketing strategies for the store and in the process make himself more marketable for another job.  But as the weeks go by Clay becomes interested in the purpose of the store.  There are the books you expect to see, fantasy books with dragons on their covers and Danielle Steel, but then there are the books that the regulars borrow.  Borrow, not buy.  What is going on?  Clay is determined to find out.

Warning: This book glows in the dark.  So don’t become concerned about that strange glow coming from your nightstand as this reader was…

King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry

King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry

Masterminds of the criminal world unite to unleash chaos on the world!  The Seven Kings is an organization which prides itself on benefiting from the world’s calamities.  (The recent economic crises the world over have brought in billions for the organization.)  But a few members aren’t content with raking in billions.  They want true chaos.  One member is the King of Plagues; he is intent on re-creating the ten plagues of Egypt.  Joe Ledger and his team are barely able to contain the outbreaks and it looks like things are going from bad to worse…

If you’re a fan of James Rollins, Steve Berry or Andy McDermott you should really try Joe Ledger.  This is the third Joe Ledger book and I eagerly await cracking the spine on the fourth entry in the series.