The Barrowfields by Phillip Lewis

I am a sucker for a book about books, authors, and libraries. Throw in a hauntingly eerie home perched on the side of a mountain, a modern structure made of iron and glass that sits above a hard-scrabble town in the Appalachians and I am hooked. The Barrowfields was that and more. A beautifully written story of a man who leaves his home in the Appalachian Mountains to attend college and write the great American novel only to return with a pregnant wife and his unfinished tome. He moves his family into the magnificent house on the hill where he continues to work on his obsession in the extensive library that Phillip Lewis writes as a supporting character in The Barrowfields. This family saga is told to us by his son Henry, who along with his sister Threnody, grows up in this rambling home in awe of their brilliant father and cared for by their beautiful and carefree mother until a family tragedy occurs that changes the trajectory of all their lives. Son Henry leaves home, as his father did, only to return after earning a law degree, as his father did, to solve the mystery of the family and to return to the home and sister he abandoned. This was a beautifully lyrical debut that will leave you wanting more from Phillip Lewis.

DODGERS by Bill Beverly - East LA gang meets Middle America on a caper that goes awry.

On a previous job I had the employees participated in a team building exercise, much like the Myers-Briggs system. This exercise identified what the employee would bring to a team; an organizer, a leader, the member that would get the project off the ground, the mediator, etc.  The object of this exercise is to build teams that would include at least one of each of these strengths, and bring the project to a successful end. Bill Beverly has done something similar in a LA gang setting in DODGERS, published by Penguin Random House.

This is an ensemble piece with characters that represent the best and worst parts of a team. There is East a 15-year-old who has never experienced a childhood, raised in the drug world of East LA. East is the loyal one. He can always be relied upon to follow the rules and do what is expected of him and get the job done. He is the order keeper. Ty, 13, Easts psycho, younger half-brother with the gun. He doesn’t think beyond aiming and pulling the trigger. The trigger-man. The brains of the outfit is Walter, intelligent, always thinking ahead, knowing how to get things done. He is the strategist. Rounding out the crew is Michael Wilson the older college boy from the hood who is to be in-charge. He is a chance taker and never follows the rules. He is the fuck-up.

The story begins in an LA ghetto at The Boxes, the hood where the boys live and work for Fin, the boss, the main supplier of drugs and East’s uncle. Due to a momentary lack of focus, the drug house that East is responsible for is raided by the police. Holding East responsible, Fin sends East with this crew of boys to Wisconsin to take out a murder witness before he has the opportunity to testify against Fin’s organization. Piling into a van the boys head in the compass direction E. “Only once did East turn and look back. Everything he recognized was already past: The Boxes. His gang. His mother.” The further east the boys go the more the mission goes awry. The boys begin to rely on their own selves to get through this task as they become estranged from the comfort of their gang life. East is the one who becomes more independent, realizing there may be something more than the gang life at home even as he finds himself friendless and alone in America’s white Midwest. 

This book has won awards as best crime novel and best debut for a reason. The prose is poetic, many times I jotted down quotes and passages I want to remember. "It took a moment for East's eyes to read the scene. He could see the valley's depth, feel the real wind dipping down it. But he could not convince himself that is was real. Space both vast and unattainable, opening up between the blue walls of stone. The air below was cold, he could feel it, a reservoir, and he could sense something about the chasm, all the time piled up there. Close to forever. More time than he had in a hundred lives like his."It also evokes a sense of place from the LA ghetto The Boxes where the boys live, to a stop on the way east at Las Vegas Casino, to a rest stop in Utah where big-rig truckers and families in SUV’s mingle to take a break from white-line-fever, to the white American Midwest."The farther east they got, the dirtier the toilets. Like every toilet in the country has been cleaned the moment they left LA, and none of them since." Bill Beverly shows us this country can be strange, scary, and unfriendly once we leave the comforts of what we know. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is the best book I read in 2016, and that is really saying something.

Hunters In The Dark - Lawrence Osborne is a noir tale that unfolds like Russian Matryoshka dolls

It all begins when a Robert, an aimless school teacher from Sussex, wins $2,000 at a casino in Cambodia. An introvert, Robert takes his annual school vacations in exotic places but never immerses himself in the local or the people, and always looks at them as someone peering through a telescope from the opposite end. His big win in Cambodia, however, sets off a chain of events that forces him to become involved with his surroundings and others who inhabit it.  Unhappy with this mundane life as a teacher he decides to extend his vacation for at least as long as the $2,000 will last him. However, there are others that have other plans for his winnings.  As the story unfolds like Russian nesting dolls; open one and another is there time after time, the $2,000 winning becomes the main character as the story twists when each Matryoshka doll is revealed. I loved this book and will look forward to reading Lawrence Osborne’s back list.

THE SUNLIGHT PILGRIMS by Jenni Fagin is one that you hate to see end

The moment I began this book I just wanted to sit and read. This is the book you hate to see end. I absolutely loved this book. Takes place in 2020 in a small caravan park in Scotland where the residents are expecting the worst winter in history. Not quite a dystopian novel but definitely one on the effects of the gulf stream slowing down as affected by global warming. However the story is really about the characters; a man who has left his London home, which was a small independent movie theater, after the deaths of his grandmother and mother, the young girl he meets when arriving at the caravan park and her bohemian mother. There are other characters that are pertinent to the story that provide insight and conflict. I've read where some reviewers are calling this a YA novel, perhaps because the young girl, Stella, is the central character with the most important story to tell. However I highly recommend this novel whether you like or dislike YA novels, the characters are likable, interesting and there are many morals in this simple tale.

GROWNUP by Gillian Flynn

Flynn writes characters that tend to make questionable decisions; think Nick Dunn in GONE GIRL. Why the hell did he not retain an attorney once it was discovered Amy was missing or dead. The spouse is always the primary suspect. And why did Amy sell their townhome in New York, a city she loved and loathed leaving, to move to a podunk town to nurse her mother-in-law till she died.  Why did she give Nick the money to open a bar in a Podunk town of all things? Or how about Libby Day from DARK PLACES who went through money like water through a sieve, without any means of support. She made one bad decision after another. And in GROWNUP the unnamed narrator struggles through life making ends meet as a psychic, until she meets a young woman, Susan, who believes she sees ghosts in the eerie Victorian home she lives with her teenage son. Once the narrator entangles herself in Susan’s life, believing to finally found a cash-cow she begins to wonder what she has gotten herself into. And again, before the book has found its conclusion she makes a decision that leave us all wondering what the hell was she thinking.  GROWNUP is a short story repackaged as a novella, and if you are a Gillian Flynn fan you will find it has the twists that you would expect from a Gillian Flynn book.  I am wondering when she will write another novel instead of re-warming previous works.  

Dead Wake: The last Crossing of the Lusitania or Dead Wake: Germany's Agggressive Submarine Program During World War I

Erik Larson is one of the masters of narrative non-fiction, and he again proves it in Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania. The book is about the fatal last crossing of the Lusitania the largest passenger steamship of its time, and its sinking off the coast of Ireland. It gives us a look into the wealthy class that could afford a luxury cruise during war time. Tells us stories of the passengers,  some famous and some not, and lets us sail on the Lusitania with them without the seasickness. The most interesting story being told is the German submarine campaign of the first world war and of  the captain of Unterseeboot-20 that sunk the Lusitania, Captain Walther Schweiger. Captain Schweiger, as were the captains of the U-boat fleet, was directed to sink as much tonnage as possible, whether military or civilian. Civilian lives were of no consequence. The previous restrictions of warfare that protected civilian ships no longer applied to the war zone that Germany placed around Great Britain, Germany was intent on sinking any vessel that was not German. Tracking Captain Schweiger was a clandestine British intelligence unit, Room 40, a group that came into possession of the German code book, and monitored radio transmissions of U-20 and those U-boats within range. Room 40 had been tracking Schweiger's U-20 and knew when it entered the waters off the coast of Ireland, and knew the Lusitania would be sailing through the same channel and would be in jeopardy of attack. America was not involved in the War at this time and to attack a passenger steamship that was on route from American to London that carried many American citizens, many of which were children and babies, was thought to be an invitation to join the war. Perhaps British intelligence were hoping such an attack would persuade President Woodrow Wilson to declare war, or perhaps it was an egregious oversight, but the Lusitania's Captain Turner was never notified of an enemy submarine in its path nor was he given directions on evading such an attack. This story is a sad tale, one that could have been avoided but for the lack of the flow of information and oversight. The information was there, the jeopardy of attack was known, but the Lusitania was sunk and lives were lost, many lives were lost. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania was an intriguing read, one I recommend.

Q&A A Day: A 5 Year Journal

If you keep a journal or if you have always wanted to keep a journal but did not know how to start this is the perfect book for you. This is a different type of journal, each day has a question for you to ponder and write about, you can answer the question or let it take you in a different direction. Also, it is a 5 year journal so that each day has 5 spaces for your thoughts over the years, and allows you to see what you were thinking each previous year.  I love it and look forward the next day to write something and to the next year of the first day I wrote in this journal. It makes a perfect gift, I have already purchased one for my friends birthday.

Another Spademan thriller hits the mark, NEAR ENEMY by Adam Sternberg

In 2014 hubby and I went to the L.A. Times Festival of Books and had a wonderful time. We are both bibliophiles and were in heaven; books, books, books and authors, authors, authors.  One of the panels we attended was hosted by the very funny, writer and podcaster Tod Goldberg, with Adam Sternberg introducing his first Spademan book SHOVEL READY. Being a fan of the mystery/thriller genre I picked up the book, after all the author was there ready to autograph it for me. Well as things often go SHOVEL READY sat on my "priority to read" shelf for around 6 months before I pulled it and jumped in.  Let me tell you, SHOVEL READY isn't the typical dystopian novel. This is a future  where you either live in a ravaged New York City decimated by a dirty bomb, or tap into the limnosphere to live a virtual reality of your own making. The protagonist, Spademan, is a garbageman turned hit-man, kinda the same, the difference being the garbage you dispose of.  In NEAR READY Spademan was contracted to dispose of a hacker and limn bed-hopper Jonathan Lesser, only when he meets up with Lesser he tells Spademan of an impossible occurrence he witnessed while bed-hopping a bankers virtual reality in the limn. What Spademan soon learns is terrorists are again threatening to bomb New York, only this time ground zero isn't Times Square this time it is the limn. As fun as the Spademan novels are they do have a serious side to them and NEAR ENEMY seems to be a tad edgier than the first book, SHOVEL READY. I loved both books and NEAR ENEMY didn't have to sit on my bookshelf for long as I began reading soon as I had it in my hands. But I will warn you, after reading NEAR ENEMY you will be standing on Adam Sternberg's front lawn with me holding banners demanding the third Spademan novel. Mr. Sternberg assures me he is working on the third Spademan.......at least he better be.

P.S. The L.A. Times Festival of Books for 2015 is being held at University of Southern California on April 18, 19, 20. I recommend you attend if you are a lover of books as you will meet authors, book sellers, publishers where you will pick up some fantastic books, many are give-a-ways by the publishers. And you will have a fabulous time.

GREAT HOUSE A NOVEL By Nicole Krauss

This book has sat on my bookshelf for several years; on the shelf I reserve for immediate reading. I don't know why it took me so long to pick it up and begin as I was mesmerized by this tale of a great looming desk that seemed hovered over everyone who sat at it, and the relationships of the people who owned, borrowed, or searched for this desk. The book is in two parts with four chapters in each part. The four chapters in part I are revisited in part II, and none of the chapters are told in order. As I read I admit I was confused to how the story played out in sequence, but when I got to part II it started to become more clear, albeit, still murky.  Upon finishing this wonderful book I went to the table of contents and made notes trying to link the sequence of the stories of these lives. The chapters in both parts have the same titles which helped me as I reread parts of the like named chapters to help with my sequencing of the story.  Some of you may be incredulous that I would even try to put the entire story in sequence. Normally when reading a book written in this style I am not concerned with analyzing and sequencing the story as I accept the book as I originally interpreted it. But with GREAT HOUSE I needed to make that connection, I needed the right sequence, and once I found it one of the mysteries of the book came to light. I am happy.

AGAINST THE COUNTRY A NOVEL by Ben Metcalf

I picked up this book and read the first page, the beautiful prose pulled me in.  However, I was unable to concentrate on a book written in this style as I had recently lost two close friends to sudden illness and cancer so I put it down. I am giving 4 stars as I believe the language and writing are unique, I will pick this book up at a later time when I am more able to lose myself in it.

THE ACCIDENT by Chris Pavone is a wonderful followup to his debut THE EXPATS

I love thrillers, mysteries and suspense...they are my favorite genres and Chris Pavone has satisfied my craving again with THE ACCIDENT. This is not a sequel to THE EXPATS, but characters from his debut do show up in the current thriller. That is something I like about certain authors, they don't necessarily write sequels or prequels but bring familiar characters into their work, it is like going to a party and knowing one other or two other people there. In THE ACCIDENT a manuscript has been hand delivered to a literary agent; not on jump drive or disc but hard copy, I'll bet this hasn't happened to an agent in this digital age, but it did happen here. The manuscript, titled "The Accident" is the title of an expose written about Charlie Wolf, an all around greedy silver-spooner and the founder of Wolf Worldwide Media. This expose tells of an accident that occurred during college when a young woman was killed by Charlie Wolf's car. The killing was vehicular manslaughter, an accident, that was never reported by Charlie or his roommate Dave Miller who were involved. But that is not the only revelation in "The Accident," during the course of building his empire Charlie became involved with nefarious dealings involving the CIA and foreign governments. The manuscript is so inflammatory that numerous people, government spooks and industry insiders are desperate to squash the publication by finding the original manuscript, any illicit copies that may have been made, anyone who may have read the manuscript or part of the manuscript, and destroying everything and everyone involved or peripheral to this expose. These people are serious about keeping secrets secret. Something else quite interesting is the story takes place all in one day and by the end of the book you will feel like it was the longest day of the year. This is nail biting, edge of your seat reading. If you liked THE EXPATS you will love THE ACCIDENT.

With luck and a lot of ingenuity THE MARTIAN just may survive being stranded on the Red planet.

Are we sure Andy Weir isn't a NASA astronaut? He sure has me fooled. Mark Watney is one lucky guy, he is part of a Mars mission crew and they have landed on Mars. Yes, he is one of the six people to ever walk on Mars, HOTDOG! They have been on Mars for six Sols, or six Mars days as a Mars day is slightly longer than an earth day, when a severe dust storm arrives and threatens their safety. Looks like Mark's luck just ran out. Written with such attention to detail you would think Mr. Weir actually lived the tale he is telling. There is a lot of science in this book, as you would expect from a tale of an earthling stranded on Mars, but don't let that deter you from picking up this fabulously entertaining book. FYI, the protagonist Mark Watney is a botanist and engineer as well as a well trained NASA astronaut so you know he is smart enough to figure out how to survive with what is on hand. And thanks to NASA's being well prepared for any event there is quite a lot of equipment that is at his disposal. The one thing he is lacking is food to get him through till the next Mars landing. But remember, Mark is foremost a botanist....so, well let's just say he manages to come up with an idea.  This is an edge of your seat thrill, pick it up and take a trip to Mars, it may be the only way you will get there.

The Woman Who Would Be King by Kara Cooney

"The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt" by Kara Cooney is an interesting foray into how ancient Egypt was ruled, not only by boy kings but by the King Mothers and the God's Wives.  Even though the life of Hatshepsut and how she came to rule was based on interpretation of the artifacts and history of Egypt, and really is conjecture, it is an eye opening book on the power that women had in ancient Egypt, and the power they had with the Gods. Reading this book you cannot help but believe that ancient Egypt was a matriarchal society, as it is not only about Hatshepsut's life and rise to power but about the sway women held over the dynasties as wives to the Gods and the power they had as mothers over their boy Kings.

"Pilgrim's Wilderness A true Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier by Tom Kizza

"Pilgrim's Wilderness" is like a train wreck, as disturbing as the tale is you can't take your eyes away from what is written on the page. Tom Kizza, an Alaska journalist, has deftly written a well researched page turner, a book that kept me awake at night and seeped into my dreams turning them into nightmares.  This is a true story about a heinous being masquerading as a man, even more heinous masquerading as a family man.  Bobby Hale, aka Firefly Sunstar, aka Holy Bob, aka Papa Pilgrim was a Texas boy who grew up in the top echelons of Texas society. His family socialized with John Connally's family, Bobby even ran away with Connally's 16 year old daughter and drove to Oklahoma where they were married, despite their young ages. That marriage lasted 44 days before Kathleen Connally was shot in the back of the head, purported to be a suicide due in part to the testimonial of Bobby Hale. Even at that time Bobby Hale, prior to becoming Papa Pilgrim, showed signs of a manic, aggressive behavior that caused him to lash out and become threatening and abusive to those around him.  This will manifest itself daily as he becomes more obsessed with his vision of "God's plan" for him and his family to live in the wilderness following the gospel of the bible. By the time the family arrived in Alaska in 2002 Bobby Hale had morphed into Papa Pilgrim and was towing a family of 14 children living under Papa's stringent rules he professed to be the word of God. This was a man who allowed only 2 books in his home; the bible and "The Pilgrim's Progress" and he read from them daily, teaching his wife and children how to live by the word of God. Papa Pilgrim proselytized himself as a devout Christian, he was not a Christian he was a monster who searched the text of the bible to justify his daily abuse and enslavement of his family, and the thievery he practiced against his neighbors and the state of Alaska. He was a master of manipulation and disarmament, spouting bible verses anytime someone approached him on his actions and behavior.  However, this book is not only about the Pilgrim family, it is also a story of wilderness living in Alaska, depending on and offering assistance to neighbors. Where good grace is essential. As disturbing as I found the Pilgrim family the book is highly recommended.