The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig is one of my favorite books of the year. This imaginative novel explores the idea of divergent parallel universes and tells the story of Nora who is unhappy in her current life. Haven’t we all wondered about the other choices we could have made? Caught between life and death, Nora enters a magical library where different life stories exist and she is able to visit alternative lives exploring glaciers, as a swimming champion, as a famous lead singer, as a wife and mother.  Along the way, she struggles with her own Book of Regrets and eventually accepts that “the only way to learn is to live” for “sadness is intrinsically part of the fabric of happiness. You can’t have one without the other.” Haig’s series of adventures (in some ways reminiscent of It’s a Wonderful Life) will certainly have readers reflecting on the impact of their own lives. I loved when he pointed out, “Librarians have knowledge. They guide you to the right books. The right worlds. They find the best places. Like soul-enhanced search engines.” 

Haig is a prolific writer; his works include a number of stories for children.  In addition, I have found Haig’s writing about depression (Notes on a Nervous Planet or Reasons to Stay Alive) to be quite insightful and would also definitely recommend his How to Stop Time, another adult novel that blends introspection and adventure (rumored to be a movie soon). Haig says, “it’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see;” enjoy THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY from your own perspective – it received a starred review from Booklist. 

Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Frequent readers know that mystery stories are a personal favorite and that I have written very positively about the whodunits crafted by Anthony Horowitz; see for example The Word is Murder and The Sentence is Death.  I particularly liked his 2017 Magpie Murders and was therefore looking forward to his latest “story within a story” featuring the publishing editor Susan Reyland: MOONFLOWER MURDERS. Sadly, it was not as obviously clever as earlier works.  I once again enjoyed the embedded mystery novel by Alan Conway (titled Atticus Pund Takes the Case and edited by Reyland) which is featured and would honestly have been happy with that 1950s story as a stand-alone.  Maybe it is just having a harder time concentrating during this COVID era, but the portion of MOONFLOWER MURDERS that deals with the real-life disappearance of the innkeepers’ adult daughter, Cecily, just seemed to drag a bit and I think re-reading would help me to spot more clues. There certainly was plenty of description including several pages which were included to explain how the fictional detective novel related to Reyland’s disappearance investigation. Numerous suspects exist in both case and the endings were surprising, as evidenced by the starred review which MOONFLOWER MURDERS received from Publishers Weekly.  If you love mysteries, try these titles and let me know what you think.  

 
Looking for something shorter? MIDWINTER MURDER by Agatha Christie contains a number of short stories by the prolific author and is subtitled “Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery.” These are fun and engaging short whodunits – perfect for Christie fans and anyone looking for a quick distraction. The dozen short stories average around 20 pages each and feature mainly lesser known tales involving Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and the Tommy and Tuppence duo. It’s difficult to believe that some of the tales are nearly 100 years old as they are still entertaining today; selections include “The Chocolate Box,” “The Plymouth Express,” and “A Christmas Tragedy.” Even if you have read some selections before, MIDWINTER MURDER is still a treat to enjoy! Happy Holidays!

 

More Than Enough by Elaine Welteroth

MORE THAN ENOUGH by Elaine Welteroth says on page one of her introduction that, “on average, a girl’s confidence peaks at just nine years old.” I wish she cited the source, but even still, that idea is gut-wrenching.  Why are we so judgmental? Why can’t we find the good in ourselves to help others?  Why do we collectively let the bullies win? These are some of the questions which Welteroth explores in her memoir/manifesto. She tells the story of her career in journalism at Ebony and Vogue, of the barriers she broke, and of the personal cost in terms of feelings of “otherness” and burnout.  MORE THAN ENOUGH is a revelatory work which explores implicit bias in the fashion industry, but which could certainly lend inspiration to any circumstance where leadership is needed. Reframing another situation, Oprah Winfrey noted, “This bad thing isn’t happening to you. It is happening for you.” Welteroth shares that perspective and is indeed a trailblazer “willing to leave signposts along the way that make it a little less confusing, less lonely, less disorienting for the next woman or person of color to follow.” MORE THAN ENOUGH received a starred review from Booklist, is a New York Times bestseller, and winner of the 2020 NAACP image award for outstanding literary work (biography/autobiography).

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam shares an eerie story set in the near future when a family heads for vacation only to find that “something” has happened to disrupt communications networks.  While there are some obvious parallels to our current uncertain world, I found this rather ominous tale to be a well-written means of escape.  Alam’s novel was nominated for the National Book Award and called “a brilliant, suspenseful examination of race and class” by The Washington Post’s reviewer. And, yes, there are insightful comments: “his wife felt it important, not to do the moral thing necessarily, but to be the kind of person who would. Morality was vanity in the end.” And so, the vacationers (a White family) attempt to deal with disruption to the electric grid (“he had not realized how much light connoted safety, and how much dark its opposite”) when the when the owners (a Black couple) of the rental property seek refuge there. Apprehensive at first, they gradually come to rely on each other. The somewhat ambiguous ending merely reinforces Alam’s exhortation: “To enjoyment …. To the enjoyment of any moment in life, I guess. Enjoying any moment is a victory.  I think we need to hold on to those.” LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly.  

 

Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce

MISS BENSON'S BEETLE by Rachel Joyce (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry) is the top pick for the November 2020 Library Reads selections. I, too, am highly recommending this wonderful piece of writing filled with memorable, likeable characters. Fans of humorous but observant historical fiction like Dear Mrs. Bird or works by Helen Simonson are sure to enjoy this new title. In 1950, Miss Benson is teaching at an all girl’s school in England and one day just chucks it all in to go off to the South Pacific and New Caledonia (map provided) to find the golden beetle that her Father told her about decades ago.  She interviews a few possible assistants for the expedition and ends up having to “make do” with Edith Pretty a total scatterbrain, but extremely loyal young woman. Over the course of their adventure (battling storms, ineffectual bureaucracy, unwanted attention and much more), the two develop a deep and lasting friendship. MISS BENSON'S BEETLE received a starred review from Library Journal (“a delightful book … sure to be a hit with book clubs”) and Publishers Weekly. Questions and topics for discussion are included in the print copy and I am looking forward to listening to the variety of accents on the audio version, too.

Dare to Speak by Suzanne Nossel

DARE TO SPEAK is written by Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America which is a writers’ human rights organization devoted to the celebration and defense of free expression worldwide. Subtitled “Defending Free Speech for All,” this text is divided into several parts which deal with key principles for speaking, listening, debating, and setting policy related to speech. There is, for example, a chapter titled “Apologize when you’ve said something wrong” which itself has boxed sections with text for good apologies, pseudo apologies, and even steps on how to apologize. We have certainly become a less civil society when we need this detailed direction. The section dealing with listening encourages readers to consider context and “call out with caution” as well as fighting hateful speech and hate crimes. I know our students are quite interested in this topic overall and I was surprised by reference to a Smith College study (154-55) which found a shift amongst students in the last 20 years towards “wider support for censorship.” Nossel notes that PEW has documented similar findings amongst millennials versus older generations.  Today, The New York Times published “Groupthink has Left the Left Blind,” an opinion piece on the danger of exiling dissent voices. Nossel, too, says “Progressives in positions of influence bear a special responsibility to defend the neutral principle of open expression.” DARE TO SPEAK seems a timely text for many reasons, including the hearing Congress has been holding with the CEOs of Facebook and Twitter about their companies’ policies and actions. Perhaps we all need to reflect on President Obama’s advice: “If you disagree with somebody, bring them in and ask them tough questions. … Engage it. Debate it. Stand up for what you believe in.”  So proud of our students who practiced this by speaking at the Board of Education meeting as our community debates the pros and cons of remote vs. hybrid learning.  DARE TO SPEAK is definitely thought-provoking, has a helpful index and close to 30 pages of notes and references. Library Journal describes it as “An informative work for readers interested in human rights, free speech, censorship, and how they interact;” we will have a copy on our shelves soon.

No Filter by Sarah Frier

NO FILTER: The Inside Story of Instagram by Sarah Frier has a beautiful, attention-grabbing cover as befits a topic that is so visually oriented. Frier, a reporter on social media companies for Bloomberg News, also provides a fascinating read, beginning with an author’s note where she explains that this story takes place over ten years and that she wrote in a narrative style to help protect the identities of her sources due to the non-disclosure contracts they had signed. NO FILTER discusses the founding and coding of the app, its uses and misuses (including during election times), and the role of celebrities and influencers. Of particular interest to readers will be the way in which this innovative product was transformed after its purchase by Facebook in 2012 for $1 billion. An noteworthy and informative case study worth reading, NO FILTER is currently one of the nominees in the Science and Technology category for the Goodreads Choice Awards for 2020.