The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop

THE WONDER BOY OF WHISTLE STOP by Fannie Flagg is a LibraryReads choice for October.  If you love Flagg’s homespun writing, especially Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, pick up this new equally folksy novel. It charmingly reprises many of the characters and events from that 1987 classic while offering comfort in these uncertain times. For example, title character Bud Threadgoode (now retired and looking to visit his Alabama hometown) observes, “Life can be hard sometimes. And I sort of think animals are little gifts the good Lord sends to help us get through it.” Or when Flagg writes, “that’s what you get when you love something that much. Joy and heartbreak.” My difficulty with this novel was the way it jumped around in time over several decades and across state lines, often making reference or assuming some knowledge the reader did not necessarily have. My advice is to treat yourself: (re)read Fried Green Tomatoes first and then settle in to enjoy more feel good wisdom in THE WONDER BOY OF WHISTLE STOP.

More Mysteries ... by Ann Cleeves and Frances Brody

THE DARKEST EVENING by Ann Cleeves is the latest (number nine) in the Vera Stanhope series of mystery stories, but the first that I had the pleasure of reading. In its starred review, Publishers Weekly declared, “This page-turner is must reading for fans as well as newcomers." I heartily concur! In this wintery tale, Vera finds a toddler in an abandoned car in the snow.  The young and troubled mother, Lorna Falstone, is later found dead on the grounds of Brockburn, a large, grand house in rural Northumberland. That is actually where Vera had headed with the child; she knew the manor house was nearby because it is where her father was raised although he was later estranged from the family. Vera and her colleagues, Joe and Holly, now must work to solve the puzzle of Lorna’s death. The suspects are many, involving tangled ties amongst family members, business associates, and community members.  After enjoying this tale, I was disappointed to learn that the ITV-produced British crime drama is only available in the US through smaller services like Acorn or Britbox. But I was encouraged by Louise Penny’s comment that "Ann Cleeves is one of my favorite mystery writers.” I will be looking forward to reading more by BOTH of these best-selling authors! 

MURDER IS IN THE AIR by Frances Brody is number 12 in Kate Shackleton mystery series. I always enjoy these charming mysteries set in the late 1920s and early 1930s Britain. Kate is a resourceful sleuth and this story begins as she sends her assistant, Jim Sykes, to a brewery in Yorkshire which is experiencing some financial and management issues. Sykes mingles well with the locals and becomes increasingly suspicious, particularly after the brewery’s extremely capable and knowledgeable secretary, Miss Crawford, is killed while cycling. Exploring the role of women at this time, Brody interweaves the family story of Ruth Parnaby, another capable employee who works in the accounting area and is representing the brewery in a marketing contest. MURDER IS IN THE AIR features more than one puzzle and plenty of inter-relationships which give rise to numerous suspects. Enjoy! 

 

Dress Your Best Life by Dawnn Karen

DRESS YOUR BEST LIFE by Dawnn Karen explores the idea that “fashion is the voice we use to declare ourselves to the world.” Karen, a graduate of Columbia University, former model, and now a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, offers chapters on topics such as “Fashion Psychology 101” and “Mood Matters.” In the introduction, she frankly describes her background, recounts a traumatic event, and explains her on-going interest in exploring the “relationship between attire and attitude” through studying both psychology and fashion. There is a fascinating chapter on color and another on power accessories, plus multiple case studies. Karen builds on wider messages associated with “self-acceptance, body positivity, and inclusivity” and employs quizzes to help the reader define his or her own style. There’s an element of sustainability, too: she recommends a list of “woke” brands. I particularly liked the questions she suggests near the end: 

• Do I love it? (instead of Will they like it?)
• Do I need it? (instead of Do I want it?)

This title, which the author hopes encourages readers to “feel more and shop less,” seems like a good “fit” for my students who are currently researching the impact of fast fashion and the shift to more casual clothing. DRESS YOUR BEST LIFE received a starred review from Booklist.

Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh

I was very excited to see the announcement from the National Book Foundation on nominees for the National Book Award; here is the short list across several categories and the long list for Young People’s literature is here. I have not yet read many of the nominees, but in addition to the one here, I will be reviewing others in future posts.

EVERY BODY LOOKING by Candice Iloh is an impressive coming of age debut novel told in verse.  The main character, Ada, is off to a historically black college and facing all of those important life moments about learning who she really is. Ada explains, “you start growing / further away from / what used to be home // you go looking for somewhere / that lets you be / what’s inside your head // you go find a way to get back / to your own history lesson / to your own way of being alive.” One key aspect to which students will relate is whether (and how) her interest in dance should be pursued. Another is her sexuality, with echoes of the consequences of childhood trauma. Through flash backs to first, second, sixth grade and high school, readers cannot help but feel strong emotions related to Ada and her life experience: “Crying is stupid when it is over a boy or the group of girls who you just wanted to like you enough to make you their friend.” There is the culture shock related to her peers at college “I know nothing / but this city // but my father / but these schools / where I’ve always // been one of few specks / of dingy brown / in a sea of perfect white” and to their family life (“fussin / over homework they need to do”) versus her own dealing with her mother’s addiction, an domineering father and an aunt who does not respect her privacy. Given its format, one can read this book relatively quickly, but savor it - there is much to contemplate and discuss. EVERY BODY LOOKING received starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus.

Breathless by Jennifer Niven

BREATHLESS by Jennifer Niven (All the Bright Places) is a very personal story of an 18-year-old girl, Claudine (Claude) Henry learning to deal with some life challenges. She writes at the very beginning of this novel, “You were my first. Not just sex, although that was part of it, but the first to look past everything else into me. … I don’t want to forget what I went through, what I thought, what I felt, who I was. I don’t want to forget you. But most of all, I don’t want to forget me.” This coming of age novel reflects the teen’s self-absorption – after all, it begins about a week before her high school graduation in Ohio when she is already thinking about the transition to college and planning a celebratory road trip with her best friend. That is all up-ended when her father announces that he and her mom are separating. Claude ends up spending the summer on an island (no wi-fi) near Georgia with her Mom as they try to come to terms with the new family structure. There, Claude meets Jeremiah (Miah). He is a kid with a troubled past, but he helps her to cope and truly cares for her (similar to the rebellious daughter’s boyfriend in Netflix’s Away with Hilary Swank). Throughout, Niven deftly conveys Claude’s range of emotions (confusion, heartbreak, anger, caring) as she struggles (sabotaging and nurturing) in relationships with her best friend (Saz), with her parents, and with Miah.  BREATHLESS received a starred review from School Library Journal.

Alone Together: Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19

ALONE TOGETHER edited by Jennifer Haupt was just released last month with the intent of supporting independent booksellers in need through the Book Industry Charitable Foundation.  The submissions of poems, essays and interviews were all donated by dozens of authors (Kwame Alexander, Meg Waite Clayton, Jamie Ford, Nikki Giovanni, Jean Kwok, to name just a few). This collection is subtitled “Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19” and it so seems appropriate to chronicle and share these experiences, especially today as some of our students and our faculty and staff begin the journey of blending in-person and remote learning. Haupt has divided the writings (many of which are only a page or two) into 5 sections: What Now? Grieve, Comfort, Connect and Do Not Stop. Library Journal described ALONE TOGETHER as “A testament to the power of story in times of hardship and crisis.” Last night I read several selections and rather than being saddened, I was actually very buoyed by the uplifting perspective and feeling that we are indeed all in this together. I could definitely see this text being used to prompt students’ own reflections, particularly as we move forward in the school year. Yale University Press will publish A World Out of Reach: Dispatches from Life under Lockdown next month. Please contact us with recommended titles of other collections related to COVID times.