Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAKESIDE SUPPER CLUB by J. Ryan Stradal (Kitchens of the Great Midwest; The Lager Queen of Minnesota) is an intriguing look at restaurant business in Minnesota, filtered through the eyes of two very different restaurant families. It is also a multi-generational story, told from the viewpoints of several characters and set at different time periods (1934, 1940, 1980’s, 1996). Part of the jumping around is between Betty (who struggles to raise daughter Florence until they meet Floyd and find a home at his restaurant), Florence herself, who wants to escape the supper club, and her daughter, Mariel, who unconditionally loves the place. Then there are the well-off owners of Jorby’s, a growing chain in the Midwest: Edward, and his children, Ned and Carla. All of which can be confusing in places, but Stradal writes beautifully: “the core of their bond was so solid they could argue without hurting each other. Arguments are the leaves and the relationship is the trunk … One comes and goes, and the other doesn’t change, except to get stronger.” A perceptive tale about family dynamics and finding identity through work, SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAKESIDE SUPPER CLUB received a starred review from Kirkus (“A loving ode to supper clubs, the Midwest, and the people there who try their best to make life worth living.”) I also enjoyed listening to the audio book – with so much going on, this title could work well for book groups and the publisher provides a discussion guide.

A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung

A LIVING REMEDY by Nicole Chung (All You Can Ever Know) is a heartfelt memoir that readers will not want to miss. Chung essentially eulogizes both of her parents while exploring her relationship with them and her feelings about their illnesses and death. Yes, this is heavy reading at places, but it is beautifully written. Although especially relevant to mixed race adoptees and children of immigrant parents, Chung succeeds in portraying universal experiences in a way which will not be easily forgotten. She is unflinching in writing about the impact of Covid resulting in her “attention and energies divided between the family I was raising and the one that raised me.” And there is consolation, too, when reflecting on her mother: “I know that some part of her isn’t gone, because I feel her love and experience her care like a living thing. I hear her voice speaking to me. And though my father felt so far from me after he died, he no longer feels so distant, lost beyond my reach – it’s as if she has given a part of him back to me now that they are wherever they are …” A LIVING REMEDY received a starred review from Booklist. Highly recommended.

The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths

THE LAST REMAINS by Elly Griffiths (The Locked Room) is another (actually book 15) in the Ruth Galloway series.  Here, the archeologist and sometimes forensic consultant is called upon when a skeleton is found behind an added wall in a local pub. Events of twenty years ago, including some archeological studies and potentially inappropriate relationship between a professor and student, feature in the efforts to verify the identity and motive for a young woman’s disappearance. Ruth’s employment situation and her relationship with DCI Harry Nelson also are moving towards a resolution of sorts and mixed feelings play out in contrast to long ago events when even Ruth’s Druid friend, Cathbad, was involved. Griffiths has succeeded in tying up a number of loose ends … but will they unravel in the next book?  THE LAST REMAINS received well-deserved starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly.

Mastering the Art of French Murder

MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH MURDER, a historical mystery by Colleen Cambridge, is a LibraryReads selection for April and the first book in a new series subtitled An American in Paris. Cambridge has written numerous other mystery stories and this one’s twist is that budding chef Julia Child is neighbor and friend to the protagonist, Tabitha Knight. The story takes place in post-WWII Paris and a young woman is found dead after a late night party at Julia Child’s residence. Tabitha (recently arrived from Detroit) sets out to solve the murder and keep blame from falling on Julia and/or her family. Unfortunately, Tabitha seems rather naïve and impulsively reckless, leading to some unnecessarily dangerous situations. For me, the time period and the descriptions of the city itself (with scenes near the Eiffel Tower and in Montmartre) were stronger aspects than the puzzle of the murder; the party guest list in effect limited suspects to a narrow, sometimes hard to distinguish, list. However, the series has potential and fans of historical mysteries (and, as others have noted, of authors like Jacqueline Winspear and Rhys Bowen) are likely to enjoy MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH MURDER.

Earth Day: The Octopus in the Parking Garage

I was astounded to learn that THE OCTOPUS IN THE PARKING GARAGE is titled for a real-life event. Written by Rob Verchick, a climate law scholar associated with both Loyola University New Orleans and Tulane, this new text is subtitled “A Call for Climate Resilience.”  Verchick quickly grabs readers’ attention with the story of the octopus and then devotes several chapters, including one called “Climate and Caste,” to understanding resilience. He defines that term as “the capacity to manage and recover from a climate impact in a way that preserves a community’s central character…” While Verchick agrees that reducing carbon emissions is key, he strongly supports devoting more resources to planning and notes that “the federal government spends more than $45 billion recovering from disasters, about seven times what it spends on preparing for climate change.”  The second section of Verchick’s text is about doing resilience. There, he does an excellent job of outlining protective innovations. As he says, some are technological, “but the meat of this book involves governance and social cooperation.” His travels have taken him to places like the Louisiana Bayous and the Mohave Desert and he introduces readers to the efforts of local activists and citizen scientists. Verchick caps those stories with a final chapter with the mantra: Learn. Talk. Do. THE OCTOPUS IN THE PARKING GARAGE serves as both primer and call to action.  

Earth Day: Flying Green and Columbia Global Reports

FLYING GREEN by Christopher de Bellaigue, an award-winning author, historian, and journalist, provides important background and devotes a chapter each to aviation fuel, the promise of hydrogen, and flying electric. Presenting a variety of scenarios and possible solutions, de Bellaigue writes in a very accessible manner. His comments about “flight shame” and KLM’s campaign asking people to “fly responsibly” prompted me to reflect on how emissions data are now often shown when choosing between specific flights. The numerous statistics de Bellaigue cites are amazing; here are a just a few examples:
 -  “Researchers have estimated that the 823 million international flights recorded in 2018 were taken by a mere 155 million people – just 2 percent of the world’s population.”
 -  The global aviation sector’s “total contribution of $2.7 trillion to the gross domestic product, and the 65.5 million jobs it supports, would be comparable to the United Kingdom’s economic size and population.”
 -  And, “a recent study … identified giving up one transatlantic flight per year as one of four actions [one less child; plant-based diet; no car travel] we could take that would have the greatest impact on the environment.” 

FLYING GREEN is listed as one of the Financial Times’ books to read in 2023. In addition to notes, there is a reference to other books published by Columbia Global Reports; like this one (111 pages), the publisher says they are “… short, but ambitious … works of original thinking and on-site reporting from all over the world, on a wide range of topics. They offer new ways of looking at and understanding the major issues of our time.” We have commented on some, including High Speed Empire and The Nationalist Revival. And on this Earth Day, I intend to revisit Miseducation (“How Climate Change Is Taught in America”) by Katie Worth.

Earth Day and Climate Travels

Happy Earth Day! Dating myself for sure, but I remember celebrating the first one and how we had time off from school to go out and pick up trash as we tried to do our bit for the Earth. Pretty amazing to think about both progress and deterioration since the 70’s in terms of environmental issues. There definitely is increased awareness and I will post today about three new books looking at various aspects of human impact on climate and our environment. 

CLIMATE TRAVELS by Michael M. Gunter, Jr. is all about “How Ecotourism Changes Mindsets and Motivates Action.” Gunter is a professor at Rollins College in Florida and recently outlines “Five Steps You Can Take to Jump Start Action on Climate Change” on the Columbia University Press blog. These ideas – talk about it; travel where you don’t need a car; advocate for a smaller carbon footprint; use your wallet; and live with less – are developed more fully in his book. There, he travels around the US (interviewing 125 people) to observe and describe effects of climate change and possible local solutions, particularly renewable energy. He clearly believes that small community action will have an impact and seeks to motivate his readers by encouraging them to “think local, act local.” This highlights the tensions associated with environmental issues – by definition, they are truly a part of everyone’s lives and, yet, it is incredibly difficult to persuade a majority that taking timely, coordinated steps is of critical long-term importance. I did find some sections a bit confusing; for example, Gunter extols the virtues of Texas wind power leadership, but does not really address that opposition (partly a function of the February 2021 freeze) is quite entrenched, as noted in a recent Wall Street Journal editorial. Obviously, increased awareness of the specifics of climate change is key and CLIMATE TRAVELS is yet another thought-provoking overview filled with American examples.

Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls

A work of historical fiction set in the 1920s Prohibition-era, HANG THE MOON by Jeannette Walls (The Glass Castle) is an extremely well-written and emotionally impactful story about a feisty, young girl named Sallie Kincaid whose father, Duke, runs the local county in Virginia. He’s wealthy and his businesses include a bootlegging operation in which Sallie, a natural born daredevil, becomes an important player. There is much intergenerational squabbling, strong character development, and quick-moving action as Sallie is confronted with one moral dilemma after another. Featuring secrets, scandals, and family feuds, HANG THE MOON received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly, plus it was a LibraryReads selection for March 2023. Highly recommended.

Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas

WHERE COYOTES HOWL by Sandra Dallas is a new work of historical fiction set in Wallace, Wyoming during the early twentieth century. Main characters are Ellen Webster, the women whom she befriends, and a romantic interest, Charlie Bacon, who is a cowboy. Dallas refers frequently to the title and its poignancy as a reference to the loneliness and dangers in such a desolate area. Ellen goes to Wallace for a one year adventure as a school teacher; she falls in love and stays longer, but still struggles with the demanding environment, particularly for women. Dallas emphasizes how Ellen's friends (varied in age and background) experience prejudice, spousal abuse, and the devastating death of young children. As in many of Dallas’ other novels, the women draw strength from each other which lessens their pain while allowing readers to more readily appreciate that support and concern. WHERE COYOTES HOWL received a starred review from Booklist. Definitely have a look at some of Dallas’ earlier works, too, including The Diary of Mattie Spenser (a personal favorite of the author), The Persian Pickle Club, and more recently, Little Souls. Plus, numerous historical fiction novels have an emphasis on settling a frontier and/or overcoming hardships, including titles like Homestead by Melinda Moustakis, Christy by Catherine Marshall, and News of the World by the Paulette Jiles.

Dark Angel by John Sandford

DARK ANGEL by John Sandford is the second in a series about Letty Davenport and it is an engrossing adventure filled with memorable characters and plenty of armed violence in the name of doing good. Letty acts as a consultant to the US government and is paired with Baxter, a computer nerd for NSA, in an attempt to find and infiltrate a group of idealistic hackers. Danger increases as Russian security forces join the hunt and begin targeting some of the group members. Letty is a strong, self-reliant protagonist who reminded me of characters in novels like Quinn’s The Diamond Eye, Box’s Treasure State, and Paretsky’s Overboard. I enjoyed DARK ANGEL so much that I plan to listen to The Investigator, Letty’s first adventure. Sanford is an award-winning author probably best known for his Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport, Letty’s father.