diversity

‘Mockingbird Summer’ by Lynda Rutledge is about small town Texas in 1964

/ Pamela Kramer

Small town Texas in the summer of 1964 is the setting in “Mockingbird Summer” by Lynda Rutledge. During this summer, we see a town on the cusp of change, as its Southside (of the tracks) and Northside neighborhoods and implicit Jim Crow laws butt heads with the Civil Rights Era. We see most of the events through the eyes of Kathryn Kay Corcoran, or Corky as she is known to her friends. Corky lives with her parents, her brother, and their much-loved pets. Both Roy Rogers, a large mixed-breed dog, and Goldy, their senior horse, become important to the story, but especially Roy Rogers, whose unquestioning loyalty and instincts are highlights throughout the story.

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‘Once There Was’ by Kiyash Monsef is a beautiful and compelling young adult fantasy

/ Pamela Kramer / 1 Comment

Instead of “Once upon a time…” the fairy tales that we read in Kiyash Monsef’s wonderful fantasy novel “Once There Was” begin with different words. When the main character Marjan’s father, who was from Iran, told her the childhood tales about mythical creatures, he started the stories with “Once was, once wasn’t…” The first story is about a trapped unicorn saved by a young girl; that encounter changes the young girl and the lives of some of her descendants. We learn that Marjan is one of those who descended from that girl.

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‘City Spies: Mission Manhattan’ by James Ponti is the fabulous new middle grade thriller in this exceptional series

/ Pamela Kramer / 1 Comment

Can I just say that I love the “City Spies” series by James Ponti? This latest one, “Mission Manhattan,” is just as exciting and thrilling as the preceding books, and reading them brings me as much pleasure as reading one of my favorite adult spy novels, like Tess Gerritsen’s “The Spy Coast” or even John Scalzi’s “Starter Villain.” While granted, these spy novels are geared for middle grade readers, the plots and the action are every bit as well plotted and gripping as many of that genre written for adults. The major differences are that the books in this series are much quicker reads with spies that are underaged. But they are no less brilliant than any seasoned adult spy.

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‘Finally Heard’ by Kelly Yang is a middle grade novel about growing up, technology, and fitting in

/ Pamela Kramer

“Finally Heard” is Kelly Yang’s newest middle grade fiction. Author Yang is known for her powerful middle grade and young adult novels about fitting in, making friends, finding one’s place in life, and appreciating family. Many children appreciate the vulnerability in her fictional characters because it reflects some of their own feelings. Her first novel, “Front Desk,” for example, reflected her own experiences growing up as her parents managed hotels and she helped work the front desk.

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‘The Curse of Penryth Hall’ by Jess Armstrong is a wonderful debut gothic mystery

/ Pamela Kramer

Jess Armstrong’s debut novel, “The Curse of Penryth Hall,” is a beautifully done Gothic mystery that is set in Cornwall in the post-WWI period. The main character is Ruby Vaughn, a woman who has experienced much of life partially as a result of being the pampered daughter of a wealthy New Yorker and volunteering in France in the war effort, tending to sick and dying soldiers. Now she lives with an octogenarian, Owen, and works for him in his antiquarian bookstore. They aren’t related, but Owen has come to treat her as a daughter—or perhaps granddaughter—and they care for each other in a very non-demonstrative British manner.

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Must-have dog and cat picture books: funny, clever and touching

/ Pamela Kramer / 1 Comment

As I’ve mentioned (repeatedly) in writing about dog and cat picture books—kids love them. Adults love them. Whether they are funny, touching, clever, or as is often the case, a combination of all those qualities, reading books about our favorite companions is almost always extremely rewarding. Here are some wonderful choices to share with your picture book readers.

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‘Starter Villain’ by John Scalzi is a clever tale of spies and bad guys and one unprepared substitute teacher

/ Pamela Kramer / 1 Comment

The cat on the cover did it—I knew “Starter Villain” by John Scalzi was a book I wanted to read. Even if the cats weren’t the center of the plot. But to my delight, the cats were magnificent! And the dolphins were hysterical, in a tough-guy kind of way. But the substitute teacher, first person narrator Charlie Fitzer, is just a wonderful main character. The kind of guy we really root for and we want to attain his dream.

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‘The Museum of Failures’ by Thrity Umrigar is an emotional story of sacrifice, loss, and love

/ Pamela Kramer

Unlike her first explosive novel, “Honor,” which begins powerfully, in her new novel, “The Museum of Failures” author Thrity Umrigar builds our connection with the characters slowly and carefully. We meet Remy as he travels to his native India to see about adopting a baby. He arrives in Mumbai, which he still calls by the name he used in his childhood, Bombay, and is immediately drawn in and made at home by his childhood best friend Jango and his wife, Shenaz.

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‘Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord’ by Celeste Connally is a delightful Regency tale about a plot against women

/ Pamela Kramer

In this absolutely charming Regency mystery, Celeste Connally brings an unlikely hero into our midst. Lady Petra Forsyth is an independent woman of means who is determined not to let her existence be controlled by society’s demands. While at her level of upper class English nobility, women are expected to marry quickly, bear heirs, and keep their opinions to themselves, Petra refuses to comply.

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‘Kissing Kosher’ is more than a cute romance

/ Pamela Kramer

“Kissing Kosher” is a Romeo and Juliet-type romance, but in Jean Meltzer’s seasoned hands, it’s much more. Meltzer is passionate about educating as many readers as she can about chronic illness and chronic pain. It seems a strange match for a romance, but we see how important it is for someone with chronic pain to find an understanding partner. And perhaps, true love conquers all? Including chronic illness and pain? In this novel, it feels as if Meltzer has shared more than usual about her inner feelings regarding the daily grind of living with chronic pain and its effect on career and personal relationships.

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‘The River We Remember’ by William Kent Krueger is about midcentury, midwest values—the good and the bad

/ Pamela Kramer

Most people reading “The River We Remember” will not really remember the year 1958. And even fewer will be able to relate to small-town Minnesota as William Kent Krueger depicts it. In the rural town of Jewel, many of the inhabitants are either farmers or those in town who support farmers by providing food at the local diner or teaching their children at the local school. Sheriff Brody Dern protects people, but his job is usually dealing with drunks. That changes on Memorial Day when the body of local wealthy farmer Jimmy Quinn is found in the river.

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‘Sinners of Starlight City’ by Anika Scott is an historical fiction that brings to life the Chicago World’s Fair of 1933

/ Pamela Kramer

Take a trip back in time to visit the spectacle of the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, courtesy of Anika Scott. In her latest novel, “Sinners of Starlight City,” we see and experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the fair through the eyes of Rosa Mancuso, who performs at the fair as the mysterious and sultry Madame Mystique. We also meet, in a connection seemingly unrelated at first, eighteen-year-old Mina Gallo, who is imprisoned in a house in Cicero, waiting for the birth of her child. Her mafioso family is embarrassed at her unwed state and wants to have the child taken to an orphanage, Mina returned to the family, and life to continue as it was before she made what is in their eyes an unsavory alliance with someone of color.

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