Short Stories ...

THE MYSTERIOUS BOOKSHOP PRESENTS THE BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR 2022 edited by Sara Paretsky (author of the bestselling V.I. Warshawski series) contains roughly five hundred pages with selections by renowned authors Including Michael Connelly, Jo Nesbo, Joyce Carol Oates, and Colson Whitehead. Similar collections are published annually, but I felt as though these selections were more stories than mysteries. Yes, they were very well-written and there were surprises and twists, but the focus seemed more psychological than action adventure. The first story, “Kiss of Life” (by Doug Allyn) lasts for over forty pages and essentially circles back to its beginning. “White Chocolate” (by Jerome Charyn) and “Sleigh Bells for the Hayride” (by Keith Lee Morris) both sound appealing, but the characters (including a woman who kidnaps her own grandchild) were not. There are notes at the beginning and end of each story about the author’s background and creative process, but (in the preview at least) they blend together and that distracts from the reading enjoyment. Again, certainly well-written contributions, but overall not as diverting or entertaining as I had expected.  

The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson

THE LOST TICKET by Freya Sampson (The Last Chance Library) is a thoroughly enjoyable, feel-good novel. In many ways, the story begins in 1962 when Frank met a young, red-haired woman artist on London’s 88 bus. He somehow lost her number and has searched for her for sixty years – yes, that’s when he meets Libby, also red-haired and an aspiring artist on the same bus. Moved by the tale, Libby seeks to help find the mysterious #girlonthe88bus and she is joined in the attempt by Dylan, who wears a distinctive Mohawk and is Frank’s caregiver. There are many rides on the 88 bus where “there’s always the chance for a bit of drama or a brief chat with a stranger, the nugget of something new.” London landmarks and neighborhoods are featured prominently, too. Relationships evolve, including amongst several rather dysfunctional families, but the story is ultimately heart-warming – as is Sampson’s note to all “who have championed my work … writing stories has always been my dream, and it’s thanks to all of you that it continues to come true.” Looking forward to her next! 

Ready for Launch by Scott Kelly

READY FOR LAUNCH by Scott Kelly is subtitled “An Astronaut's Lessons for Success on Earth.” Writing for “anyone who has a dream or a goal but isn’t sure they have what it takes to achieve it,” Kelly has chosen ten life lessons (e.g., Diversity is a Force Multiplier) and devotes a chapter to each. For example, he places special emphasis on the positive role of failure: “I believe that everyday human failures …can be one of our greatest opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed. …only when you are willing to risk failure are you aiming high enough.” When I read Kelly’s comments about “how adversity shapes us depends on how we choose to respond to it,” I immediately thought of Randy Pausch ("We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand") and his book, The Last Lecture which, ironically, has a rocket ship on the cover. At just over one-hundred and twenty pages, READY FOR LAUNCH is both entertaining and inspirational; hopefully, it will provide readers with the same sort of motivation that Wolfe’s The Right Stuff gave Kelly. The first astronaut to spend an entire year in space, Kelly has written several other books for adults (Endurance) and children (My Journey to the Stars). He is a prolific writer – I vividly remember his essay “I Spent a Year in Space, and I Have Tips on Isolation to Share” published by The New York Times in March 2020 as the pandemic began. School Library Journal describes READY FOR LAUNCH as an “excellent addition to all library collections” and recommends it for grades 5 and up.

Six Feet Deep Dish plus Sugar and Salt

Two new books which deal with a delicious mix of recipes, relationships, and secrets:

SIX FEET DEEP DISH by Mindy Quigley is the start of a new cozy mystery series. It’s set in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin – a small resort town with past connections to organized crime and bootleggers. Deliah O’Leary is an aspiring entrepreneur with exciting plans for a new deep dish pizza restaurant. The night of the soft opening for family and friends ends in a murder – with her elderly aunt holding the gun! There are plenty of twists and a list of suspects, plus a helpful set of assistants (bartender, hostess, sous-chef, and wait staff) to aide this amateur detective in her quest to solve the mystery. Oh, and don’t forget the local law enforcement – including Officer Capone. There’s opportunity for more romance between him and Deliah in the next installment.  Several fun deep dish recipes and plenty of suspense round out the menu!!       

SUGAR AND SALT by Susan Wiggs (The Lost and Found Bookshop) is a LibraryReads selection for July 2022. Wiggs, an international best-selling and award-winning author, relates the story of Margot Salton who is striving to start her own barbeque restaurant in San Francisco after fleeing a past (when she was called Margie Salinas) in Texas. Margot shares the commercial kitchen with the bakery next door and some sparks fly with the head baker, Jerome Sugar. His mother, Miss Ida, is a key support for both of them and Wiggs includes flashbacks to the 1970s protest era to develop interest in Miss Ida’s own romantic past. There are references to social justice, sexual assault, and judicial system reform so this story has its heavier moments, but much of the emphasis is on resilience and optimistic dreams – both in terms of the efforts associated with retail food businesses and blossoming romantic feelings. Margot is a strong character who “wanted people everywhere to know they had a right to tell their stories, and to keep telling them until someone finally listened.” Although the novel starts slowly, the pace and intensity increase and Wiggs’ many, many readers will certainly be captivated by SUGAR AND SALT which is based in part on actual events.